Kingdom Hearts :Adventures at Castle Chocobo
by The Six of Hearts
Summary: Sequal to SF 427 made a promise to tell her the truth. Cedeile is searching for her lost memories in Castle Oblivion. Anya must deliver something important. Namine must become a link. Dreams, the shadow of memory. Cedeile will learn the price of memory.
1. Floor 01:An Intro, and Trinity Soilders

6H: Ahh...a new fic, a clean (almost) slate, and a brand new adventure! Feels like forever since I wrote about these guys last.

Anaretsu: My break was short lived, then.

6H: Well, I don't think this one will be quite as long as Shattered Fragments. Anyway, don't fret about the 'Chocobo' in the title-it's just the name of the castle. In fact, most of the story has nothing to DO with Castle Chocobo...hmmm. Well, I'll work that out later. Are you all ready for my new fic?

Anaretsu:...no.

6H:Shut up.

Anaretsu: You shut up!

6H: Go jump off a cliff! You're already dead!

Anaretsu: Then you go jump off it! Makes more sense!

6H: Gah! Just read my fic. Get ready for the explosive sequal to Shattered Fragments-

* * *

Kingdom Hearts: Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 01: An intro, and The Trinity Soliders

* * *

His dark navy eyes fluttered open violently as he came awake. At first he looked to be in shock, but then he calmed down, almost looking annoyed. It had just been a dream inspired by old memories, memories he wished to purge from his mind. He sat up and shook his head in the air, his oak colored hair flying around him. He was clad in a black, short sleeved shirt, with a long sleeved navy blue shirt underneath. His pants were a darker navy color, but changed to grey at his knees, around which were tied narrow borwn belts. On his hands were black gloves, fingerless. On the ground, spread out below him, was his dark brown cloak that he usually wore, but had layed on the hard ground for him and his compainions to sleep on.

A brief glance at this boy, and one might think he was just an ordinary boy, travelling along with two girls. But a closer look, espically at his eyes, and you could tell there was something mystic, exotic, magical, or even ancient about him. His name was Ryosuke Takita, and he was a member of the Fragment Hunters. Not only that, but he belonged to one of the last suriving clans-the Ryu clan, which was known for their strange colored eyes-all the children born into their clan had the same navy colored eyes, no matter what. Ryosuke's huge blade that was usually fastened around his back, was resting on the ground behind him, the hilt pointing at him so he could draw out the huge weapon if needed.

He looked beside him to find one of his travelling mates still fast asleep on his cloak. She was a small girl with lavender colored hair which she usually wore up in a bun, but had taken down for sleeping. Her glasses that were normaly worn in front of her crimson eyes were resting on the cloak within her reach, for she was rather blind without them. She wore a baggy, lose white robe, with an odd, curved insignia repeated all over in a cerulean blue color. She was a young mage who had mastered almost every type of magic there was. Her name was Aru, and until recently, Ryosuke had thought she was just a normal person like him, but he had been so mistaken.

Resting within this innocent girl was the heart and soul of another being who had lived five hundred years ago. The name of this other presence was Hikari Tagami-the woman who created the keyblade and the heartblade 500 years ago, before her death. He wasn't sure of the whole story, but from what he understood, Hikari hadfound Aru's body to use as her own, but the last powers of dark had also decided to inhabit this empty shell, and that's how Arucame to be the last hope for dark to overcome darkness, and for Hikari Tagami to fix her mistakes. Aru was still very sensitive about it-she herself had only found out about all this a few days ago, at the end of it all. She shared her body with Hikari, who happened to just appear as she please, which scared the crap out of him and-

He noticed his other friend was missing. That was odd-she had been out cold when he himself turned in for the night. He looked around them. How long had they been in this endless field with just one path leading off to nowhere? He stood up, debated for a moment whether to bring his sword with him or not, but then he saw who he was looking for, sitting in the grass just over on the other side of the path. A strong gust of ocean wind blew up and into his face, throwing his hair all over. The rumble of the waves met his ears, giving an overall calm to the scene. Carefully, he approached the girl.

She was watching the star-filled sky with wonder in her dark emerald eyes. Her long black hair was kept in a thick braid that hung to her knees. She was covered in her favorite color-red-from the bandana tied over her head to her sneakers. She didn't even seem to notice him approach her from behind. When he was just a foot away from her back, he decided to call out her name.

"Cedeile." he said, almost in a whisper. She turned, smiling.

"Hey, Ryu." she said back, using the shortened version of his name. He took a seat on her right and looked up at the stars like she had been.

"Have you ever seen so many stars?" he asked.

"No. Never." she replied, watching him instead. He noticed this and looked back at her.

"Is something wrong? How come you're up?" she sighed.

"I couldn't stop thinking about it all. You know, the battles, Ansem...Riku...the door. Then I looked up at the stars and began wondering if my home was on one of those stars, and if Sora and Kairi were there too." she said. He almost snorted at the keybalde master's name, but then remembered a certain point in that last battle where Sora HAD kind of saved his life...

"Who knows?" he replied instead. The master of the heartblade gazed back up at the endless sky.

"And then I was wondering where Silvia was." she replied, seeming more cheerful.

"Silvia?"

"Yeah! And I was thinking, if we only knew which star she was on we could go find her! But...we haven't had a signal on the fragment radar since we first got here." she said, her tone losing its gladness. Ryu looked down at the grass, frustrated as well.

"I still feel like it's my fault. All this time...I was helping Ansem achieve his goals..."

"You didn't know that the fragments were really Silvia." Cedeile replied.

"I know." Ryu said to the heartblade master. Another ocean breeze came up from the edge of cliff and blew through them. Ryu squinted his eyes against the wind, enjoying the tropical smell of it. Cedeile shivered-she only had a white t shirt and a red vest, with red shorts to match-not exactly ideal wear. Ryu noticed this. "Do you want my shirt?" he asked.

"What!" Cedeile exclaimed, alarmed. Ryu shushed her and pointed back to where Aru was still asleep.

"Let her rest. She's been through more than any of us." he replied. "And I'm offereing you my shirt, to keep warm. Just my short sleeved one. It'll be a little big on you, so I guess it'll keep you warmer or something."

"It's all right. I'm not that cold." she responded. Ryu looked away from her and out on the ocean, on which the moonlight reflected. Since when did he care so much about her? Maybe he was just worried, since he already lost her once. He just wanted to make sure she didn't go disappearing on him again, and that was causing him to worry. "Ryu?"

"Hmmm?"

"Where do we go from here?" she asked.

"I guess we keep travelling in the direction of where we last saw the signal. We might just be out of range." he replied. She looked back up at the sky.

"Yeah..."

* * *

A massive metal tower stood in the middle of the busy room. It extended to the ceiling, and around it's base were six or so pods, big enough for one person each. It wasn't the only tower in the room-there were four others, but this one was where all the action was. Hundreds of people rushed about it's base, carrying huge metal boxes and computer compenents. Others were shouting out orders to them.

"Put that there! Agent 621, that should go over to 754 by pod B!" one was calling out, checking off his lest on his clipboard. Suddenly, a girl approached him. He looked up from his work. "Ah! Agent 427! Your sis-I mean the comander would like to have a word with you!" he said.

"Yes, I already know. How are things going?" she asked him.

"Well, we're already ten minutes behind schedule. Mac is doing his best to get all the connections up and running again, but there's only so much he can do without certain parts." the man replied to her.

"Well, you need to pick it up. We don't have ten minutes. We got that signal at least two hours ago, and with the delay on our tracking equipment, the heartblade master could be long gone by now." 427 replied. The man nodded.

"I'll get them working faster." he said.

"Good. I'm off to see the comander." she said, and brushed past him. She was only slightly short for her age, but her body was well built and pliable. Her long pale hair swung an inch past her waist, and had a tint of pink to it. She wore a skin tight body suit which was mostly burgendy. On the tops of her hands, feet and shoulders were dull, cerulean gems, that had no sparkle to them. The sides of her arms and legs were a grey ribbed material, and her skin showed through rounded cutouts at her hips and her coller bone. She was Agent 427, and fierceness shone in her amber eyes. And this was Trinity Solider headquarters-or what was left of it.

As she walked past, several people began to whisper about her.

"Does this have to do with her mission?"

"We might finally get revenge for what the organization did to us!"

"She's been going into the non-existant territory alot lately. I bet it's got to do with _him._"

"Oh, you mean that boy who showed up two years ago? Yeah, there's something different about him."

"Of course there is! He got there because of the heartless, after all." She turned to their whispers and they ceased imideatly, fearing the look in those amber eyes of hers.

'No one...will talk about him that way.' she thought angrily. 'I'll make sure of it.' She opened a door at the other end of the metal room and entered. It was a smaller room, very much like an office. In the wall that faced the room outside were windows with blinds over them, one of them half drawn closed while the others were closed all the way. Behind the oak brown desk sat a girl of 18, that looked alot like 427. But her hair was straighter, slightly pinker, and chopped evenly at the base of her neck. Her eyes were a stormy gray color, and much more gentlier, but she wore a serious scowl.

"Agent 427 of the Trinity Soliders..."she began. "As you know, we've found the heartblade master, at last. But her location..."

"I know. It's right by organization HQ." 427 responded. "I'm ready to take on all the chances, comander."

"I know. Your main mission that I'm giving you is to destory the organization's base, and kill as many of their members as possible." she sighed.

"Thank you for selecting me, commander." 427 responded.

"I know how much this means to you. You made a promise to him that you would find the heartblade master."

"Yes. And I'd tell her everything he wanted her to know." The comander looked back at her.

"Maybe, after this mission, you'll gain enough ranks to get your name back."

"Don't treat me specially, just because I was once your sister." 427 warned. "I'm like the rest of them now."

"Father wouldn't have wanted you to be like this, though."

"Your father didn't want you to have to take his place so soon either."

"I've done what I had to!" The comander replied, jumping out of her seat. "When our world was taken by the damn heartless, do you think I wanted this? I couldn't just let things go to hell and back! So I took responsibilty and carried on in our father's footsteps." She sat back down, folded her hands together, and rested her chin on them. "He's still your father too."

"I sold my name to the Trinity soliders. And with it went my identity. You know how it works."

"Yes. Be careful on your mission. I hope you can fufill your promise to him."

"Thank you, Comander Sakura." She saluted and left. Sakura moved her eyes over to a framed photo on her desk wistfully.

"Father...what have I done? Letting her become a Trinity Solider...it's changed her."

* * *

Back out in the metal room, 427 examined the tower. A guy with wild gold hair was plugging in cables to one of the pods and typing something on a keypad.

"Because of our limited time and resourse restrictions I can only get enough power for one pod. But you were going alone anyway, right?" he replied.

"It's fine, Mac. Just get me there. I must meet her." 427 replied.

"Well, you're really determined." Mac replied. He finished typing and suddenly, an electric current shot along the sides of the pod, lighting it up. "We've got power. All systems green, Agent 427." He got up and lifted up his dark visor. "Now go kick organization ass." She nodded and the pod opened.

"I'll make quick work of those bastards." she said, and climbed in, laying down inside. The glass came down over her and she closed her eyes. Mac hopped over the many cables on the floor and ran to the control pannels a few feet away.

"Mac, is this gonna work?" Another guy the same age asked.

"Hey, 103 don't give me any doubts now, I'm on a roll here. Besides, have I ever let the team down?" he asked him Agent 103 shook his head.

"No. I guess not. But we were kind of rushed, so is it possible that we might not get her back?"

"Of COURSE I can bring her BACK! WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM?" Mac yelled at him. He began typing at the keyboard in front of him and then pulled down two of the levers. "Agent 427, get ready to launch!" he called. Inside the pod, the pale haired girl was completely relaxed. She would do what she had to, no matter what.

She promised him, after all.

* * *

6H: End of the intro!

Anaretsu: That sucked.

6H: So, now you know the pale haired girl is Agent 427, but who did she make a promise to? What does the organization have to do with the Trinity Soliders? Who ARE the Trinity Soliders? Find out in the next chapter! Along with a bunch of other stuff.


	2. Floor 02:The Endless Field

6H:Time for another chapter!

Anaretsu: Great.

6H: Come on! It's bound to be fun! Our heros will finally find Castle Chocobo.

* * *

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures of Castle Chocobo

Floor 02-The Endless Field

* * *

She skecthed lightly with her pencil on the sketchpad, drawing the lines and curves so gently. The sounds of her work were the only sounds in the big empty room. She placed her drawing down on the table-it was a sinister looking castle. She smiled briefly at her work, but then, someone opened to door of her prison.

"Well well, hard at work already?" The figure asked. He wore a long black cloak and kept his hood up, to hide his face.

"Yes." she replied.

"Good. He's coming soon. You know what I expect." he said. She nodded.

* * *

"DAMN IT!" Cedeile yelled at the top of her lungs. "THIS FIELD GOES ON FOREVER!"

"Would you shut your mouth, stupid?" Ryu yelled back at her.

"We've been walking for three days and we've seen nothing but open fields and TREES!" she yelled back at him.

"Calm down, Cedeile. This path has to go somewhere. I'm sure we'll find that place soon." Aru said. "For now, we just have to follow it."

"But we don't even know if we're going in the right direction! That signal we last had has been gone for awhile now, and we have no idea where Ansem could've taken Silvia! They could be anywhere by now."

"That's why we have to keep walking. We'll get closer to them eventually." Ryu said.

"And when we find him?" Aru asked.

"That's the tricky part. We're most likely going to have to fight him. By now, he could be even stronger than last time." Ryu recalled their bruttle last battle with their foe.

"But can we defeat him without Sora?" Cedeile asked.

"We'll have to. We have to get Silvia back." Ryu said. "Even if we do it alone."

"Fine then." Cedeile said. "But we've gotta find that signal again. Ryu, check the radar!"

"Whatever." He took out the brown piece of equipment and they all looked at it's screen. The was nothing-no signal, no anything. Suddenly, the beeping started again, the signal was straight ahead of them.

"Oh yeah!" Cedeile said. "I'm amazing, aren't I?"

"Celebrate later!" Aru called, running ahead of them."Let's get that signal!"

"All right!" Cedeile yelled, catching up to her. Ryu followed, and they ran over the hill and down the path as it sloped along the green field. Cedeile had caught and passed Aru, and she found herself laughing, feeling like she was a little kid again. She closed her eyes and and if she listened hard enough...she could hear the call of the seagulls and the crashing of the waves onto shore, and the breeze in the palm trees.

She was home again, if only in her mind.

* * *

_"Catch me if you can, guys!" Cedeile yelled, her shoulder length black hair swinging out behind her. Sora and Riku followed, only a little ways behind, seeming to be competeing more with each other than with Cedeile. But she didn't mind so much-it was still fun. _

_"This time, Riku! This time I'll get you!"_

_"Yeah right!" Cedeile didn't know how far they had been going, but soon they were far away from the other kids, and up on the rocks that overlooked the ocean. Nestled near the cliff was the paopu tree- the wind getnly shaking it's branches. Cedeile watched it as the two boys went further on ahead. She thought she saw someone up in the branches as she approached it, someone looking down at her from above. She looked up to see a figure of a teenage girl looking down at her._

_"Hi there." Cedeile said. The girl smiled back at her, her dark emerald eyes sparkleing like stars. "Hey! You have the same color eyes as me!"_

_"AHHH!"_

_"SORA, NO!" Riku yelled out from above. Cedeile looked up and saw Sora slip off the top of the cliff. _

_"Sora!" Cedeile yelled. She ran to the edge of the rock and jumped up into the air. Suddenly she was flying like she never had before. She reached out her arms and felt Sora fall into them. Then the both of them started falling without control, but Cedeile braced herself for the fall and it came, but not as hard as she expected it to. When she opened her eyes again-she hadn't even realized she closed them- she was standing on her feet, completely alright. Sora climbed down to the ground out of her arms and looked at her oddly._

_"How did you do that, Cedeile?" She imediatly looked back to the paopu tree for the girl, but she was gone. "Cedeile?"_

_"I don't know...I guess it's just..."she turned to him and then put on a cocky grin. "A talent of mine!" she replied, pretending everything was okay. But she herself wanted to know how she did that.

* * *

_

Somehow, the atmosphere had changed around them, even though it was still sunny out in the field. Cedeile, Ryu, and Aru came to a halt in front of a huge, white castle that spiraled around itself and went upward quite a long way. The sky above it was slightly darker, like a peaceful night. A foreboding wind blew around them, warning them to go back.

"What do we do now?" Cedeile asked.

"I don't like the look of this place." Ryu said.

"There's a strange aura on it. It's not darkness or light...and not dark either. What is it?" Aru asked, shivering.

'It's not quite In-between, either.' Hikari Tagami said in Aru's head.

'Do you know what this place is?' Aru asked her.

'No...but I'd say to avoid it. I do not like this aura.' Aru turned to the others.

"Hikari Tagami says that we shouldn't enter." She relayed to them.

"Then we're going in!" Cedeile said.

"Are you insane?" Ryu asked. "WE COULD GET KILLED IN THERE!"

"We could get killed anywhere. Do you know how many near death scrapes we've had already? Must I remind you of Book City's bloodbath?" Cedeile retorted. They all turned back to the huge, golden doors with twisted black lines on them.

"I give up. Besides, the signal is coming from within, isn't it?" Ryu said, looking at the radar. "Let's go."

"Right." Cedeile replied. The three of them pulled open the door and slipped inside the strange palace.

Within was a huge entrance hall that reminded them of the Gizmo Shop back in Traverse Town. Before them was a huge golden throne, sitting not quite in the middle of the room. Behind it was a gold staircase that led upstairs. Around the second floor of the entrance hall was a terace that wrapped around three quarters of the room. Elegant columns held up the floor above the teraces, with angels carved in them. The railings were a dark pink color with golden spindals. The floor was a mosiac of rose and golden colors, broken into small, rounded, stain glass like pieces. The design of the floor seemed to be giant overlapping circles. It was deadly quiet in here. Not a sound echoed off the light rose walls. They walked out from under the protection of the large doorway and overhang to find themeselves in the heart of the room. Above them hung a massive, crystal chandelier.

"Whoa. Nice digs." Cedeile said quietly.

"I wonder who this place belongs to." Ryu pondered to himself.

"Is this a trap made by Ansem?" Aru asked.

'I wouldn't doubt it, but it is a bit flashy.' Hikari said in Aru's mind.

"Welcome." A voice said to them. It seemed to echo in the room, even though theirs didn't. Suddenly, there was a person on the throne, though they were covered by a crimson, tattered cape. The person lifted the cape off their body, revealing armor, hands with metal claws and thick gloves, spiky blonde hair, a single black wing, stirking blue eyes, and a small gold crown, tilting at a starnge angle off his head.

"Who are you?" Cedeile asked.

"Wait a mintue! I know you!" Ryu yelled. The man smirked.

"Really, now?"

"Yes. After that fight Cedeile and Sepiroth had, you came out and talked to me. But I don't know your name."

"Yes. I never told you, did I? Well, I am the king of this castle. King Cloud is my name."

* * *

6H: Holy HELL! What is Cloud doing at Castle Chocobo? WHAT IS Castle Chocobo? Who's the girl in the tree? Well, that part you won't find out about till KH2.

Anaretsu: I'm sure you've made them all disapointed.

6H: I hope so. I love my power as an author!


	3. Floor 03:King Cloud and the Rules of the...

6H: Welcome back all my faithful readers! How are you liking the new story?

Anaretsu: It sucks.

6H: Well, nothing HAPPENED yet. Mwuha ha ha!

* * *

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures At Castle Chocobo

Floor 03-King Cloud, and The Rules of the Game

* * *

"I am King Cloud, and this is Castle Chocobo."

"Cloud?" Cedeile exclaimed. "You know Tifa, don't you? And all them, at Hallow Bastion! Why aren't you with them?" Cedeile burst out. His eyes moved towards her, but other than that he hardly moved.

"I have been unable to return to Hallow Bastion. Instead, I have been here, protecting this place. It is a castle of dreams."

"Of dreams?" Ryu asked. "That sounds crazy."

"It might be, but within this castle's wall are all the magics dreams are made of, things that humans could never understand. But it is a great power, understood or not, and the heartless are after it, nevertheless. So I decided to guard this castle for awhile." He said, still remaining very still, his head resting on one of his hands. In that pose, girls could've fainted at his charm and coolness, but Cedeile was not much impressed.

"So, you wouldn't have happened to see a deranged man rambling about darkness with a girl with long white hair, have you?" Cedeile asked.

"I have not. You three are the only people that have been here for awhile."

"Then we'll just go. Sorry to have bothered you." Aru said.

"Thanks anyway." Ryu said, and the three turned around, only to find, in horror, that there was a solid wall where the entrance had been.

"The doors are gone!" Cedeile yelled.

"I think I can see that, stupid!" Ryu yelled back at her.

"I forgot to mention-once you come in, there is only one way out, and that is to play the game." Cloud said calmly.

"Oh, _forgot _to mention, huh?" Cedeile replied, sarcasticly. "And what 'game' do we have to play? Go fish? Poker? I'm really great in chess, you know." Cedeile said.

"Really? I mean, you're so stupid. You can't even count right." Ryu said, and Aru tried hard not to laugh.

"SHUT IT!" Cedeile yelled back at him.

"You must go through the floors of the castle and make it to the top, while going through dream worlds and facing down nightmares, many of which will take on forms horrifying to you." Cloud explained.

"That's not so bad. The three of us have gone through everything together." Aru said.

"Yeah! We can take on anything after what we've been through!" Cedeile exclaimed.

"And each of you must go alone, on your own path." Cloud added, like an after thought.

"The more he talks, the more I don't like this place." Ryu said.

"But what choice do we have?" Aru asked. The other two couldn't anwser her. She looked up to Cloud. "What do we have to do to play this game?"

"In order for your journey to begin, you must give up your memory of the person you care about most."Cloud replied calmly, still not leaving his pose. The three gasped in horror.

"The memories of the person most important to you?" Cedeile asked.

"That is what I said." he replied, seeming to get impatient, but his face did not show it. Cedeile turned back to her friends.

"Is this worth it?" she asked them.

"Don't worry." Cloud said again, but that only made them more worried. "When you get to the top of the castle, you will get your memory back from me. And you will be able to leave this place."

"Well, it can't be too harmful, if we get the memories back." Ryu said, his arms crossed in thought. "But I don't know if we can trust this guy."

"Tifa told me about him! He's okay to her, so he should be okay to us!" Cedeile said. "He's Tifa's friend. He won't try and hurt us. He knows I'm the heartblade master."

"Indeed I do. I have waiting for you to come here, and now you have. There is but one thing to settle-do you agree to play the game?" he asked. The three looked at each other and then walked up the throne, standing side by side.

"Yes." They all said together. Cloud at last stood and called forth what looked like a misty, glowing light in his hand. It was about the size of his palm and rested on one flat edge, while the rest was rounded.

"When you awake, you will be seperated, but it is possible your paths will cross. You will not remember that your memories were taken by me, or that you met me. But I must warn you three, Castle Chocobo has a shadow called Castle Oblivion-a castle of memories. There are mirrors throughout this place that lead there, but you must NOT verture there, for it is dangerous, and I can not protect you there. Now, close your eyes, relax, and think about all the people in your life. Without knowing, your heart will choose who is most important to you, who your dearest person is. Then you will be transported to the first floor of the castle to begin. Ready?" They all nodded, each with set determination in their eyes.

"We'll take on your challenge, Cloud." Cedeile replied.

"Let's make a promise guys." Aru said. "That we'll all meet up later at the top of the castle."

"Okay." said Ryu. "I'll meet you ladies later. I promise."

"Me too!" Cedeile chipped in. The three closed their eyes as Cloud had said.

"You know the rules of the game." he saide and lifed the hand with the light orb in it. The light burst out of it and a magic wind picked up and swirled around them, sliver streaks gliding through the air. Three streaks came out of the orb and headed slowly towards the three teens. Aru and Ryu seemed fine, but Cedeile felt nervous.

'Who IS most important to me?' she thought. 'My mom? My dad? Sora? Maybe Kairi or Riku? I don't know, I can't just pick one! Ryu and Aru are important to me, too. And my brother! He's important as well! I-" Her thoughts stopped suddenly as one of the three streaks went through her and soared out the other end, gliding on the air with a glittering light, larger than the ones that came out of Ryu and Aru. The three streaks glided back to the orb and buried themselves within. The sliver wind wrapped around each other the three, and then they disappeared in a small flash of light. Cloud looked down into the orb atthe memories he had collected.

From behind the throne came a girl. Her hair was dark brown and kept up in a short ponytail on the top of her head. She wore a light rose colored, short sleeved tunic and baggy, rather large, light rose shorts of the same color. Over the shorts was another pair of shorts, a dark rose color, and open on the sides. Dark pink ribbons were wrapped around her hands and arms, ending above the elbows, and her eyes were a cheerful brown.

"I'm here your majesty." She said, smiling, but still staying behind his throne.

"You sensed them, did you?" he asked, almost bored. "Rose?"

"Yes I did." Rose replied

"I see." he replied, preoccupied with the orb.

"What should I do, your majesty?" she asked. He slightly turned his head and looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You have your orders." He replied. He looked back at the orb.

"This should be interesting." he said, almost to himself.

* * *

She woke up suddenly, her head pounding. Lettting her eyes open, she sat up. Sure, she figured she had been through worse, but she couldn't remember.Well, it didn't matter anyway, she guessed. She had a fleetling, panicked thought that she was injuried in her head or something. She felt her it, making sure she wasn't bleeding. Nothing.

'Thank god.' she thought. She stood up, looking around at her surroundings. She must've been in some huge room-the darkness seemed endless in all directions, like a void. She wondered where she was as she shivered in the cold. When she thought about it, she couldn't _remember _where she was or why she was here, wherever she was. She didn't remember a thing at all, now that she was paying more attention.

How long had she been asleep? Where did she come from? Where was this place? What had she been doing before this?Hell with that, did she even have a name? What was her name? Where did she live?What did she look like? In a panic, she pulled some of her long hair over her shoulder. It was black, and braided. She looked down at what she was wearing. A white shirt, a red vest, and red shorts. Her sneakers were red too.

"Okay...wait for it..." she said to herself, not even recognizing the sound of her voice. "Your name...you couldn't have forgotton that! Your name...your name is...is...is..."Nothing was coming to her. No matter how hard she thought, it came up a big blank. "Damn it, I can't think of a name. Why is that? Did something happen?" She looked down at herself again. In one of her hands was a strange looking staff.

_"It's called the heartblade."_ She heard the deep voice echo out of her memory.

"Whoa." She said. "Was that a memory? Did I just remember something?" She brought the staff up in both hands, looking down at it laying in her palms. "Heartblade...heartblade, huh? I don't remember that, either, but it's a start. This must be...some sort of weapon? Maybe..." She swung it around, and it let out a streak of blue-white light. "Gah!" She exclaimed in shock, falling over. She can to an utter realization at last-that she had no memories, no identity, and no idea what the hell was going on.

"I can't remember anything! I know I have a name and a family and friends, but I don't seem to remember any of them! Wait, have I always been alone? Where am I? Why am I here? What happened to my memory?" She yelled, grabbing her head, trying to force herself to remember.

Suddenly, a mirror appeared to her side. It's frame was black and ornate, but very forboding. She noticed it and looked at the glass. At first it showed her a black haired girl with dark emerald eyes, but then that image faded and showed that of a white marble room with a stairway at one end, and rose shapedpillars against the walls. She stood up, looking at it, perplexed. "Is that where I can find my memory?" she asked no one. The roaring darkness anwsered her with nothing. She looked around herself again.

"Well, I'm not learning anything about myself in this place. I wonder if this works like a door, or something." She walked up to it and touched the glass, shouting out when her fingers went through it, like water. She took a deep breath. "Come on, you can do it!" She slowly stepped forward, putting her gloved hand through first, and stepped into the glass, going through it, the image rippling around her, like she really was going through water. When she was completly through, the mirror faded away.

* * *

Ryu felt something cold drip onto his face. His eyes cracked open, and he saw he was laying under a white bush. As his vision got clear, he found that the bush was actually covered in snow-every single branch- and that water from it melting had been dripping on his face. He sat up slowly and looked around at this new place he had been suddenly dropped in.

It was a huge forest in the middle of winter, but every tree branch was covered in snow, making the forest have a magic feel to it. The bush he had been laying under was huge enough to have a sheleter for at least three or four people. Three people...that rang a bell...

"Aru?" he called. "Are you there?" he looked around the forest, hoping to catch a glimpse of lavender, but his mage friend was no where to be found. He was about to call out a second name, but then he stopped. Who else had he known that had been with him last. He tried to think of where he had last been. A green field, wide open , a single path stretching down it...Aru had been with him, and they were looking for something...but had they been alone? He though he could faintly recall someone else, but before he could get a clear view, the figure vanished from his mind.

"Must've been a dream." He said out loud, and stood up, walking out into the open forest. It was as if a new snow had fallen. Everything was silent-there were no animals or other people around. He figured that might be somewhat right for the season, but it gave him a eerie feeling still. He began to walk down the snow covered path that winded through the trees. As he went, all he saw was more of the same-a silent, white forest in the dead of winter. "Great...this is sooooo much better than the open field..." he grumbled sarcasticly. "And now I'm talking to myself...perfect."

From above him watched a figure. It stood motionless on a branch high up in one of the trees, and as it moved, it did not distrub the snow resting on the branch. As Ryu made his way through the forest the figure lept to a new branch, staying slightly behind him and out of sight.

'This must be one of the ones in the castle now.' The figure thought. In haste, the figure slipped, shaking the branch and making the slightest noise. Ryu turned sharply, and his hand automaticly moved to the hilt of his sword.

"Who's there!" He called firecelly. Luckily for the figure it had been able to dodge back behind the tree without behind spotted. Ryu looked around once more, lowered his hand off is blade, and continued walking.

* * *

Her pale hair flew out in the wind behind her. It was night now, but it didn't matter much to her. She walked up the path with purpose, determination and fiercness shining in her amber eyes. Agent 427 stopped before a huge, gold colored castle for a moment to take it all in.

'At last I've made it here. Inside is where the heartblade master is.' she thought. She remembered what had occured before she had left Trinity Solider base.

_"If you find her, 427...please tell her the truth for me..."_

"I'll tell her everything..." She murmered to herself. "And I'll get revenge for father at the same time."

* * *

She stepped through the other side of the mirror suddenly, not expecting the drop below it, so she tripped over the bottom of the mirror and stumbled onto the floor. When she caught her balance again, she turned to look back at the mirror. The frame around it was the same as it had been on the other side, expect white. She was now able to get a better look at herself in the mirror. She had to admit, the dark green eyes did look famillar to her. She curiously stepped towards the mirror, looking at herself as if for the first time.

"So, this is me, huh? I wonder what my name is." she said to herself. "It would be so much easier if I could remember that. My name is...is..." she stared harder at the mirror. If she just stood there long enough, then maybe she would remember something. "My name is..."

"Do names really matter?" A voice said from behind her. She turned towards the voice, which seemed to come from the stairs. A figure in a black trench coat stood before her. The hood on his head covered his face and kept his identity secret. "I see I've found a tresspasser in here."

"Who are you? And where am I?" The figure laughed.

"Such a demanding little girl." He mocked her. "How did you get here anyway?"

"I went through the mirror." she replied, unsure. She wasn't sure how to use the weapon she held, but she gripped it tighter, hoping it would come back to her.

"From where?" he asked again.

"Um...I'm not sure..."she anwsered sheepishly.

"Really? Another one from Castle Chocobo. It's such a hinderence having to be connected to them." The figure complained, more to himself than to her. Cedeile's eyes went wide. Castle Chocobo...that sounded familar...but from where? "Either way, I can't just let you go." He raised one of his arms out to the side and in it appeared a round, red weapon. A simlliar one appeared in the other hand. "Get ready to DIE!" He flew at her, ready to make an attack.

"No way!" she yelled at him and swung the staff out in front of her. The two weapons clashed with a ringing clang and the hooded figure was forced back by a light from the staff. He looked at the weapon with disbelief.

"The heartblade? Here?" he asked, shocked.

"You mean this is the heartblade? What's that?" she asked him, confused. The figure stood again.

"Now you have to die. You won't stop us from taking Sora." he said.

"Sora?" she asked, confused. "I don't know a-" But he had already hurled his weapons at her. They tore at her, cutting across her arms and ripping her vest. She fell on the ground, but got up quickly. His weapons came back to his hands and she ran at him with the heartblade, slashing him with it a few times. He forced her back, leaving a mid-sized cut in her side.

"You fight better than I thought you would. Marlucia was right." the figure said.

"Who are you? What do you want with me? What do you know about me?" she asked him.

"You won't know long enough to remember, since I'm going to kill you." he replied. He was about to go in for the final attack, but a voice stopped him.

"Hold it right there!" it said. She and the figure looked to the back of the room. A figure walked forward, dressed in a burgendy suit. Agent 427 glared at thehoodedmanand stopped beside her. "You won't be laying another hand on the heartblade master. Not now, anyway." she said.

"Why's that?" the figure asked. "Are you going to stop me?" 427 drew out a short, curved sword. The handle was simply black, and the blade was double edged and sharp. The figure stood to his full height. "Huh. You're more of a match than I thought. All right, then, you can pass for now. You can have this." He threw a card towards her and vanished from the white room. 427 caught the card, glaring, and examined it.

"Hey..."she asked from the floor, wondering if this new presence was trying to kill her too. "Um...who are you?" 427 looked down at her.

"I'm Agent 427 of the Trinity Soliders." she replied. "I've been waiting to meet you, heartblade master."

"Me? I'm a heartblade master? What does that mean, exactly." 427 gave her a funny look.

"You're kidding right? Well, what's your name?" she asked. The girl struggled.

"I can't remember." 427 smacked her forehead.

"You're joking. Good lord, let this be a joke. I don't have time for this..."

"It's the truth! I woke up on the other side of that mirror and I couldn't remember a thing! All I know is that this thing I have with me is the heartblade!" she yelled, frustrated with herself. 'Why can't I remember anything!' she thought angrily. 427 studied her carefully.

'This has to be her. She's got the damn heartblade and all, and she even kind of looks like him. They could almost be twins, but her eyes are much darker. Still, is it really her? I don't know, but this is a castle where memories disappear, so that could be a reason for why she can't remember anything.' 427 thought. 'How can I remind her of her own name?'

"Are you sure you don't know your own name?" she asked again. The girl thought again.

"My name...if only I could remember that much...it was..." she closed her eyes in thought and tried to search for the anwser to her question. A face breifly flashed by in a fleeting memory, and it was saying something to her, but she couldn't tell what it was. All she could see were the mouth movements. 'Remember those...'she thought to herself. She started copying them herself, thinking what sounds matched them. 427 watched her.

"Well? Come on, hurry up."

"Ce...de...Cedel...ee? Cedeile? Is that my name?" she asked out loud. She looked back at 427. "Is my name Cedeile?"

"If you want it to be, I guess. I don't know, and I guess it really doesn't matter." Cedeile stood up.

"All right then! For now, My name is Cedeile!" she decided with confidence. 427 nodded.

"I've been sent here to do something, but I'll have to keep my eye on you too. A heartblade master with no memories could get into all sorts of trouble." she said, reluctantly.

"Okay then! We'll go through here together!" Cedeile said, happily. "And maybe I'll remember more as we go on!"

"Yeah...maybe. Now let's go." 427 said.

"What did that man give you? A card?" Cedeile asked, trying to get a peak at it.

"Yes. Let's go to those doors and find out what's behind them." the solider said with confidence, and walked towards the stairs. Cedeile followed her and stood slightly behind her. When she stopped in front of the doors, she lifted up the card. On it, was a picture of a town-and then the card erupted in a great flash of light. The doors slowly creaked open, and 427 walked through without a second thought.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Cedeile yelled, and followed her.

* * *

When Aru woke up, she found herself laying on warm sand. The hot sun blazed down on her relentlessly, and the sky was a deep blue that she'd never seen before. She got up, shaking the sand out of her robes. As far as she could see, sand streched in all directions.

'From a field to a desert? Is that possible?' Aru thought.

'I suppose anything is, with the right magic.' Hikari Tagami anwsered. Aru pouted.

'Not every question needs to be anwsered.'

'Then I'll just shut up for now.' Aru shook her head and laughed at her other side. There were some advantages to sharing a body with someone-you were never alone, and because Hikari hadn't left the darkness for 500 years, she didn't know how things had changed in the world. It was fun to see her reactions, espically when she saw King Mickey at End of the World. She began to walk slower.

'That's right...King Mickey was shut behind the door. Him and...'she stopped walking suddenly.

'What is it?' Hikari asked.

'I just thought I forgot something. Hikari, there wasn't another person trapped behind the door, was there?' Aru asked, unsure. 'I was thinking back on what happened at Kingdom Hearts, and about the door to darkness, and I remember King Mickey getting shut behind the door, but I have the strangest feeling someone else was with him.' Aru waited while Hikari thought.

'No, I don't remember anyone else. Maybe your mind is playing tricks on you.' Aru began walking again after her response.

'Perhaps. I wonder where Ryu and Cedeile went. You think they're here?'

'Who knows? With Cedeile's math skills, I'm not too confident in her sense of direction.' Aru laughed.

'Yeah, but she's not THAT dumb! At least, I hope not. Maybe we got seperated somehow, but past a certain point, I go blank. What happened here?'

'Let's keep going for now. We'll find someone out here eventually.'

'Not if it's like the field...' And Aru continued onward, a long trail of footsteps left behind, cutting across the still landscape.

* * *

6H: GASP! 427 and Cedeile are inside Castle Oblivion, Ryu's lost in a snow forest with a figure following him, and Aru's alone in a desert! What's going on?

Anaretsu: I don't really care.

6H: And why has Cedeile forgotton everything? Who's 427's promise to? What does the organization think of these new intruders in their castle? Find out as you read on!

Anaretsu: It's not worth it.

6H: Be sure to leave plently of reviews. And ignore Anaretsu-she doesn't know what she's talking about.

Anaretsu: Yes I do, you baka!


	4. Floor 04:Task

6H:Welcome to Chapter 4! YAY!

Anaretsu: ...yeah.

6H: So...I don't have any funny comments to make, so I'll just let you read.

* * *

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 04-Task

* * *

When they made it through the door, Cedeile found that they were in the square of a pleasant town in the evening. 427 stood still, examining this new area. Cedeile was confused-how could a whole town fit in a castle? Was it some kind of trick of the light? No, it really did look like a real town.

"Where are we? Did we leave the castle?" Cedeile asked.

"No. This place is made from HIS memories. We've just gotton the access pass. Besides, you should know this place." 427 replied cooly. Cedeile shook her head.

"I don't know anything about this town." 427 turned to face her.

"So, you really don't know this place? You journeyed here a long time ago, but this place was important!" 427 said, trying to make her remember.

"I'm telling you! I really don't remember this place!" Cedeile yelled back. She was already feeling frustrated.

"You don't know anything, do you?" 427 asked in amazement. "And you're the heartblade master? Now we know the worlds are screwed."

"Hey! I'll get my memory back! It'll just take awhile, is all!" she insisted. "So don't make fun of me!"

"Fine." 427 said, sighing. "Come on. I'm not slowing down for you, even if you are one of the masters." She began to walk off.

"The masters? Hey! What's that mean?" she caught up with the pale-haired girl and walked slightly behind her. "What's you name?" Cedeile asked randomly.

"I already told you. I'm Agent 427 of the Trinity Soliders." her companion replied, annoyed.

"Yeah, I know, but you can't just have a number for name, can you? What's your REAL name, I mean."

"I don't have it anymore, so it wouldn't do any good if I told you." 427 replied, impatient with her.

"How do you not have your name anymore? And what exactly is a Trinity Solider?" Cedeile asked again.

"Aren't you the curious one. Alright, the Trinity Soliders began as one of clans back in ancient times. They were those who went through the door to the relem of the non-exsitant ones, the nobodys. They are those who have lost part of their trinity. Over time as the clans broke up, they moved off to their own corner of the universe and became the Trinity Soliders. We guard over all the trinities that keep balance in the world. There's the human trinity-Body, Soul, and heart-and the power trinity-Light, Darkness, and In-between." 427 explained.

"I see. That sounds kind of cool. But why don't you have a name? Is it because you're like a secret agent or something?" Cedeile asked, getting excited. 427 stopped and turned to Cedeile, an annoyed look on her face, mixed with anger.

"To become a Trinity Solider, you must sell your name to them." she said bluntly. Cedeile froze, trying to take the weight.

"Wh...what?"

"I sold my name to the Trinity Soliders. If I get promoted enough, then I'll get my name back. It's that simple." she said, as if it were nothing.

"You gave up your identity? Why?" Cedeile asked. 427 glared at her.

"That's not any of your concern. Now, let's go. We have work to do."

"Work?" Cedeile asked as they began walking through the town again.

"Yes. You have to get your memories back as soon as possible. You'll need them to fight."

* * *

The white haired girl sat on white chair in a desolate, empty room. She sighed as she looked down at he hands on her lap. Opening her blue eyes, she looked up at the ceiling, looking worried.

"That girl with the black hair has no memoires. But if I didn't do it, who did?" she asked no one. Suddenly, two figures began to clambor up the stairs that led to her room. She listened as their arguement echoed off the walls.

"That was smart, Axel. Really smart." A female voice said.

"Oh shut up, Lakchine. What would you have done?"

"I wouldn't have just let them enter the castle alive. Think of who's WITH HER." The two entered the room. The girl had short blond hair that was slicked back against her skull. Her eyes were a green-blue color, like a stormy ocean. The second was a man, a little taller than her, with spikey red hair brushed back behind him. Under his dark colored eyes were small, triangular marks.

"As long as he doesn't know, it won't matter." Axel said to her. She frowned.

"Oh yes. EVERYTHING will just magically be OKAY because you say it is!" Lakchine retorted sarcasticly. Axel growled at her and then looked over at the girl in the chair. He strode up to her forcefully and grabbed her by her hair, pulling her up out of her seat. She clenched her hands in pain and cried out.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TO HER?" he demanded.

"I-I didn't do anything! I swear! Her memories were already gone when I first sensed her!" the girl said. Axel dropped her harshly.

"Calm down already. We still have the chance to kill her."

"Shut up, Lakchine!" Axel yelled and then turned back to the girl. "Alright you, who took the heartblade master's memories?"

"I don't know!" the girl said again. Lakchine rolled her eyes.

"If for once in your life you would just listen to me-" Axel ignored her anyway.

"This is trouble. If he finds out that the heartblade master is here without her memories, he's gonna come straight to us!"

"May I tell you my idea, now?" Lakchine asked impatiently.

"Fine. Let's hear it." She smirked at him.

"Maybe it's not such a bad thing that her head is a mess of lost memories. Maybe we can use it to our advantage..."Lakchine began.

"You think so, huh?" Axel asked.

"Well, she doesn't know who's telling the truth around here. All we have to do is tell her she was a servant of ours, convice her it's true, and then we won't even need the keyblade master! We'll already have the girl!" Lakchine stated gleefully.

"He'll never go for that, you know. He's got his sights on that damn keyblade." Axel said grudingly.

"He doesn't know a good thing when it slaps him in the face. Axel, if you and I can capture her, then we'll have power enough to go against the organzation for good. And besides...maybe she knows what Ansem's planning to do with that dead girl he dragged off." She smirked slyly, looking off to the side as she stood in front of him now. Axel rolled his eyes.

"She's not DEAD-her heart is missing, and because of that, she refuses to awaken. Ansem's going nuts over it really." he told her.

"Whatever. She's not really much use to anyone, almost like this one here." Lakchine pointed at the girl, cowarding in her chair.

"Hardly. Silvia is a body and soul forced back together again with unfavorable results. She-" he pointed at the girl-"- is of real use to us, you know. He's putting alot of faith in her."

"Faith? Hah! He's just using her like a puppet."

"Try telling the keyblade master that and he'll cut off your head. Not that I wouldn't enjoy that..." he said, glaring at her.

"Maybe your head is the one needing to be cut off." she replied. He glared at her.

"Well, we can't gain much by standing around here aruging all day. Let's get back to work. There are two masters here, remember." he said as the two began to go back to the door.

"How can I forget? He's throwing a real fit. Plus, Zexion said there was someone down in the basements." Lakchine's voice echoed up the stairwell as their footsteps got faint.

"God! Does it look like the castle door are just flung open for everyone to come in today?" Axel yelled angrily. The girl was now alone again. And although it was nice to not have someone yelling at her, she'd rather have had them stay. Because she was always alone.

* * *

'Hikari...we've been walking in this desert forever.' Aru said in her mind.

'I know.' Hikari Tagami replied. 'This is very odd. Is there anything at all out here?'

'I don't think so. It's just endless.' Aru replied. 'I need a break.'

'Let's just go a little farther, okay?'

"Alright." Aru said out loud. "But this is your idea. If I drop dead, it's your fault."

'Then I will be glad to take your body as my own.' She joked. Aru shook her head and kept walking onward. Suddenly, she saw a shadow on the sand. She looked up to the sky and sheiled her eyes from the bright glare of the sun. Up in the air was something triangular-it was to hard to see it because it was so far away, but it got closer and closer, and then she could tell. It was a girl in green hanging from a large glider who was swooping down towards her. The girl flew over her and landed in the sand in front of her, casuing clouds of it to fly up. Aru sheilded her face to kkep it out of her eyes.

"At last, I've found you!" The girl said. Her dark brown hair was kept in a ponytail high on the back of her head, and her eyes were a light brown color.

"And who are you. exactly?" Aru asked as the sand setteled again. A breeze came up and blew past them.

"I'm Mint, guardian of the Golden Desert. You're that mage everyone's been talking about, right? The one who can cast light magic?" she asked. Aru smirked.

"Not me." She replied. Her body began to glow and fade out, and in her place stood Hikari Tagami, smriking in the same way.

"Me." she said.

"Then you and I are going to fight!" Mint said. Hikari smirked and pulled out from behind her a pair of thick, cream colored gloves. She pulled them on and flexed her fingers.

"I haven't fought anyone in awhile. This should be fun." Hikari said. Mint charged forward, and Hikari ran to meet her. They collided in an explosion of fire and wood magic and went flying back to the ground, where both landed on their feet. Hikari summoned fire to her hands, and they both become enveloped in flame. She ran foward to Mint and swung her hand in an upward motion, making the fire follow and stretch out behind her. Mint got smacked with it and went flying back, but threw out and glowing green orb that exploded into a burst of flower magic, sending Hikari to the ground. She landed with her hand and flipped herself back into the air so she could land on her feet. She crouched in the sand, waiting for the next move. Mint stood up and laughed.

"You're pretty good. You've only just been using your blacksmith magic on me. You're one of the only ones in history to ever refine it for battle...Hikari Tagami."

"How do you know my name?" she demanded.

"That's my secret. Now it's time for me to finish you off right now."

"You use mostly plant magic, right? Fire and ice happen to be my favorites, so you can't win." Hikari replied, standing. "Why do you want to fight me anyway?"

"Orders." Mint spat.

"From who?"

"Not telling. It's a secret too."

"Is it the same person who seperated me and Aru from the others?"

"Perhaps." Mint smirked. Hikari glared.

"Than I'll make this quick." She called back the fire and ran forward. She threw to fire at her and it left her hands, flying independently at Mint. She blocked them with a barrier of vines she called from the ground at the last moment. She, in turn, summoned thick tree roots from the dry ground and sent them at the mage. They hit her hard in the chest and she flew to the ground. When she hit the sand, it flew up around her, and when it cleared she was Aru again. The shorter mage stood up and Mint croseed her arms in disapointment.

"She couldn't handle it, could she?" Mint asked Aru. Aru's crimson eyes narrowed.

"It's my turn!" she yelled. "THUNDRA BOMB!" The lighting flew at Mint, knocking her off balance. The battle was on again. Mint called forth two huge, man eating flowers from the ground. They showed their fangs and extened their stems to read her, but Aru shot firaga at them, causing them to burn up. Mint came out of nowhere and grasped Aru's face under her hand.

"GRAVIRA WAVE!" she yelled, and the spell hit Aru at full impact.She fell back on the ground, blood pouring down her face, her glasses slightly cracked. Around her neck dangled the black chain with the heart on it. Aru drew a cricle around her on the ground with her one index finger.

"AQUA PILLAR!" And out of the sand flew a huge water cyclone. It hit her foe and sent her sprawling on the ground. "FIRA WAVE!" Aru threw her hand up to the sky and then brought back to the ground, sending out five waves of fire.

"Flower Barrier!" Mint yelled, and a flower bloomed up and closed around her. The first two fire waves burned through it and the last three hit her dead on. Aru ran up again, blood blocking her vision at times.

"BLIZZAGA!" She yelled, hurling the magic blue snow at Mint. It hit her again, making several gashes on her body.

"Oh yeah, midget?" Mint called. "VINES! NOW!" Aru didn't see anything happen.

"What the-? Where-!" But she didn't have time to think, for a sudden, gaping pain erupted in her left shoulder. Blood ran freely down her arm and stained her white robe. She looked to see the vines had come from behind her and pieced right through. She winced horribly and looked back as she heard Mint laughing.

"Gotcha now, shorty! What're you going to do? Is Hikari Tagami going to save you?" Mint taunted.

"You..."

'Aru, please let me-'

'No.' Aru told her fiercely.

'But I haven't received the damage! You know that we don't share physical conditions! If I took your place I wouldn't have your wou-'

"I CAN HANDLE IT!" Aru yelled out loud. Hikari went slient in her head.

"Having a fight with yourself?" Mint asked threatening. Aru glared, grabbed the vine through her shoulder, and pulled, ripping it from it's root. She grimaced as she pulled it all the way through and dropped it on the ground. Mint's face was in a look of surprise. "Wow. Hey, you're pretty tough!" She jumped up in the air and floated there, looking down at her. "I'll leave you alone for now. But we'll fight again. You, me, AND Hikari Tagami!" And with that, she faded away. Aru fell on the sand, exhausted and blood stained.

'Aru!' Hikari called, worried.

"I'm alright..." Aru said quietly. "I just need to rest..." And with that, her crimson eyes were closed. Hikari took her place, stood up, and continued onward.

"I'll find you, Mint. And next time you'll lose for good."

* * *

6H: Well, you just got the first good fight in the story! YAY BLOOD!

Anaretsu: It wasn't even mildly impressive.

6H: Yeah, yeah. I'll see you all in chapter 5!


	5. Floor 05:Warning of Remembering

6H:Welcome back my faithful fans!

Anaretsu: Why did you come back? You only make her happy!

6H:Be quiet! Anyway, hopefully, this chapter will get the story moving better.

* * *

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 05-Warning of Remembering

* * *

In a dimmed room somewhere in Castle Chocobo, Cloud sat on his throne, watching through his orb the battle between Hikari Tagami and Mint. His eyes were blank, showing no emotion either way. From behind his throne emerged Rose again, wearing a somewhat worried look. She approached carefully.

"Your majesty, there's been a slight problem." Rose said.

"What might that be?" Cloud asked, adverting his attention from the orb to his servant. "Everything is going quite well. Hikari Tagami and Aru won the fight against Mint."

"Yes, but that's not the real problem. You see, I went looking for the heartblade master, because I assumed I would be meeting her, but I didn't find her anywhere on my floors. I searched all the stairwells and even the ground floor, but she wasn't anywhere."

"I see." Cloud said blankly.

"What should we do, your majesty?" she asked, embaressed that she lost track of Cedeile.

"Look on the other floors and see if she might've slipped away from you. If you can't find her, then I will go to the other side and look for her there." Cloud replied, not angry at all.

"I will, your majesty." Rose said. She walked behind the throne again and disappeared. Cloud looked down into the shining orb, his blue eyes now seeming worried.

"Something is not right with the heartblade master. Something went wrong..."

* * *

"We've been walking forever! Can't we take a break?" Cedeile asked 427.

"Quit complaining." she replied. "Where could he be...?"

"Who?"

"Someone you met a long time ago. Maybe he can help you remember something." she told her. Cedeile nodded in understanding. Then a thought came into her head.

"Hey, how do you know so much about me?" she asked. 427 didn't anwser at first. At last, she gave Cedeile a cryptic response.

"I have my ways."

"That doesn't help! If you know everything about me, then why don't you just tell me everything I havfta know! It'd sure be a hell of alot easier!" 427 stopped walking.

"Look, it's better if you meet the people you knew before, because then they'll trigger other memories. Besides, I don't know everything about you. I don't know what you went through exactly on your last journey. I don't know who you've met, who your friends are. I only know a few things that someone told me." 427 replied angrily. Cedeile went quiet for a moment.

"Who told you about me?" she asked. 427 lowered her eyes to the ground.

"I can't tell you now. I can only tell you once you remember everything." she replied. Cedeile pouted.

"That might take forever at this rate." she said. 427 reutnred to her hardened glance.

"No it won't. Just let's keep pushing forward." She turned to walk forward, but a man blocked her path. The two girls looked up at him in wonder. Suddenly, 427 smirked. "Ah...I was wondering how long it would take for you to show up." she said.

"Who are you?" Cedeile asked the man.

"I am Leon." he told her. "Have we met before?"

* * *

Ryu stopped dead in the middle of the path and looked around him again. He could've sworn he heard someone behind him again, but when he turned to look there was no one, and everything was silent.

'I've been walking through this forest for an hour! But still, it doesn't seem like I'm getting anywhere at all. But that can't be right, because I'm not seeing my old footprints at all in the snow, and it's not like they could be covered up right now, since it's not snowing at the moment.' He shivered slightly. 'It's getting colder. This is not good.' He continued onward for a few more feet until he came to a small clearing in the middle of the path. In the center of the clearing was a huge tree-the biggest he had seen so far. He figured his arms couldn't even reach half way around the huge trunk. There a a groove in it about six feet off the ground from which the tree branched off into five trunks. He approached the tree with caution to get a better look at it.

"Can you sense it?" a voice asked. His head shot up. Sitting in the groove above him was a girl in blue with dark brown hair tied at the back of her head in a ponytail. Her eyes were a warm brown that smiled at him. "Can you sense the great magic energies that gather here? This tree is the only tree that flowers in the Snowdrop Forest."

"I don't have any magic in my blood." Ryu said. "I can't really sense magic."

"Anyone can sense magic! I believe everyone has some degree of magic in their blood-they just have to find it. Maybe it's hidden deep within the heart, and reacts to our feelings." the girl said.

"I don't believe that. Sounds kind of stupid, if you ask me." he replied.

"Maybe. But do you know what your heart hides from you? In it's deepest depths, or maybe in it's shadow, there could lie something great that you haven't discovered yet. Would you like to take a look into the shadow of your heart?" she asked.

"Not really." Ryu replied. "But can you tell me how to get out of this place? I'm looking for my friend." The girls ceased smiling and lowered her head so that he couldn't read his expression.

"Yes, I know how. You must defeat me." He stepped back as she jumped into the air and landed hard on the ground. In her outstreched hand materilzed a long rod of water. "WATER SPEAR!" she yelled, and the water cleared away to reveal a silver spear with ornate symbols carved all in the metal. She stood up again and thrusted the spear end into the snow so that it stood upright. "Well? Shall we get our battle over with?"

"Fine." Ryu said. Before he had a chance to retaliate, she struck him with a huge rush of water that forced him into the snow. He hopped up and pulled out his huge blade. "A little dirty now, aren't we?"

"I fight how I fight. Now let's go!" she charged at him, but he blocked with his blade. He smirked at her.

"So, do you have a name?"

"Yes! Cerulean!" she said.

"Strange name. I'm Ryosuke-"

"But your friends must call you Ryu, right?" she asked. He forced her away and then struck her with his sword. She fell to the ground, but flipped into the air before he could strike again. She landed a little distance away.

"How do you know that?" he demanded of Cerulean. "Do you read minds?"

"No. Memories. I have all the nessicary information about you through your memories." Ryu glared at her.

"You better not have been messing with my head!" he yelled and charged at her again. She blocked with her spear and then, using it again, sent a full tidal wave of water rushing at him. While he was down she sliced across his face with the edge of the blade. A long, bloody cut formed across his left eyelid down to his jaw on the right. He closed his left eye in pain and gritted his teeth. Getting up again, he ran at her, and she countered his sword as it came around from behind. He tried pushing against the spear, but to no avail. Their weapons clanged against each other several more times as neither gave way. Blood from Ryu's cut was staining the snow as it flew off his face. Soon, Cerulean had been forced up against the tree. Thinking he had her caught, he took a stepped back and then made to swing his sword around full power and finished her, but she was quicker and jammed to spear through his cloak and hit his rib cage. Blood splattereed on the ground beneath him as he gasped out. The sword he was swinging flew out of his hands and tore through the chest part of her shirt. The two fell over-Ryu forward and Cerulean sidways. She partially landed over his shoulder, and his head hit the tree with enough force to leave a small puntucre from which more blood dripped from.

Cerulean was wobbleing dangerously, but he put an arm around her hips to steady her. She moved her one hand to hold up the ripped fabric so that she was covered and put her other hand on his shoulder to keep her up. The snow around them began to turn red, and Ryu's cloak began to tint crimson.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I thought you were trying to kill me?" she asked.

"I was only trying to end the battle. There's a difference. Besides, you're human, you haven't really done anything wrong, and you aren't a mass murderer. I don't see any reason to kill you." he responded painfully.

"I don't actually like fighting." she said. "But it's my duty to test you and all others who come through here. We'll meet again. And we'll battle then too." Her body turned into water and vanished through the snow. Ryu toppled over onto the ground.

'Damn it...I'm screwed now. Oh well...I'll just rest here awhile...'

* * *

"No. We've never met." 427 told him. "But I think you know her." she pointed back to Cedeile. Leon got a confused look on his face.

"I don't her. I've never seen her. Who are you?" he asked. Cedeile was surprised and look to 427 for an anwser.

"Tell him what I told you before." she said.

"Oh! I'm Cedeile, and I'm the heartblade master! Not that I know what that means...yet! But I'm trying to remember." She said. Leon nodded.

"So, you've lost some memories too." he said.

"I wouldn't say _some_ but...yeah." she anwsered.

"Come on, then." he turned and began walking in the other direction. 427 and Cedeile didn't know what to do, so they just stood there stupidedly. When he noticed they weren't following him, he turned and glared at the two. "I said, come on! I'll introduce you to some people. Maybe it'll help you remember more."

"Oh!" Cedeile said and ran after him. She turned back to 427. "Come on A-" but her companion was gone.

* * *

"Hey Leon! Who's that with you?" a girl with short black hair asked. Leon and Cedeile stepped into the small house where two girls were sitting. The other girl had red hair and turquoise eyes.

"This is Cedeile. She says she's the heartblade master." he replied.

"Hi there! I'm Yuffie! And the is Aerith!" Yuffie said, waving at her. Cedeile walked further into the house and sat down in the empty chair and the table.

"Hi." she answered sheepishly. This did seem a little famillar. Aerith smiled at her sadly.

"I don't know wheather to say "nice to meet you" or "how have you been.'" she said. "I feel like I _have_ met you somewhere. But I can't really remember."

"Did someone take your memories too?" Cedeile asked.

"I don't think so. I remember everything." Yuffie said. "Well, I thought I did, but then this kid named Sora came and said he knew all us and had met us before, but I didn't really remember him."

"Sora?" she asked. 'That name...where have I heard it before?'

"Do you know a kid named Sora?" Leon asked her. She turned to look at him.

"I don't think I do. Then again, I can't remember...a thing. When I woke up, I didn't know my name or who I was, or where I lived and if I had ever done anything before that moment in time. All I know now is that my name is Cedeile and this staff-" she made the heartblade come to her hands-" is the heartblade. That's it." She sighed.

"That really isn't alot to go on." Aerith said."You must be frustrated."

"Yeah. But Agent 427 is helping me!" Cedeile said brightly.

"Who?" Yuffie asked.

"Well, she's not here now, but she told me she would help me gain my memories again."

"That's good. You're going to need help." Leon said.

"Why's that?" she asked him.

"Because. There are people who do not want you to remember. They will try and stop you from finding your memories. But you must fight them. Whatever you do, do not give in to those people who want to stop your memories." He warned.

"Don't worry-I don't intend to give up. I want my memories back really badly. No one's gonna stop me!" she vowed.

"Still, don't let remembering destory you." Leon said gravely.

"Destory me?" Cedeile asked. "How?"

"Remembering the memories you had might destroy you. Or, if you find out the truth behind them, or the truth behind yourself, you may find your heart getting torn to pieces." he replied.

"Man Leon, that's creepy. How do you figure that?" Yuffie asked him.

"I just have a feeling."

"I know. There's so much I just can't explain that's been happening to me recently. I'm doubting I even exsist." Aerith said, worried.

"So I might not exsist either?" Cedeile said, banging her hands on the table as she stood up. "That's not-" Suddenly, an image flashed through her head.

_"...be careful...Nabuki is a very powerful demon now. " A girl who looked like Aerith told her. And beside her were two people..._

"Ahh!" she screamed, clutching her head in pain.

"What is it?" Yuffie yelled, shooting upright and helping Cedeile sit down again. Cedeile got control of herself again and was able to anwser.

"Who's...Nabuki?" she asked.

"Nabuki? I've never heard of a Nabuki." Leon said. What about you, Aerith?"

"No. What do you mean, Cedeile?" Aerith asked gently.

"Nevermind...I guess it wasn't a real memory. I thought I saw Aerith tell me to be careful and that Nabuki was a powerful demon." Cedeile said, dissapointed. "Guess not."

"Maybe our minds have been messed around with." Aerith said. "Maybe we have met you before."

"Hey!" Cedeile said suddenly. "Is there any sure-fire way to get my memories back?" she asked.

"A sure-fire way?" Yuffie repeated. Cedeile nodded.

"Well...If you find that Sora kid, maybe he can help you. He was saying something about a heartblade master or something." Leon said.

"Really? Maybe he knows something that'll help me remember! Where did he go?"

"To another world." Leon replied.

"Then I have to go too! I'll find this kid named Sora, and he'll tell me how to remember!" She stood up. "Thanks again for your help! I see you around!" And with that she ran out the door.

* * *

Back in the main sqaure of Traverse Town, Agent 427 sat on a fountain, looking at the ground, waiting. Cedeile saw her and ran up to her, smiling broadly as she playfully skipped and jumped around the plaza.

"Hey there! Where did you go?" Cedeile asked.

"No where really. I wanted you to go and talk to them alone." she said. "It's important for you to remember without me as well."

"I see. Well, I now know how to get my memories back!" she said loudly. "I have to find Sora!"

"You know Sora!" 427 asked, surprised.

"Well...no." 427's surprise turned to a blank stare. "But-! But I know that he'll defiently help me get some memories back. Leon said he heard this kid talking about a heartblade master, so he must know me. Only problem is he's in another world."

"No he's not. He's ahead of us, you see. He's up on the higher floors, above us." 427 said. The two looked upward. All Cedeile saw was a night sky.

"Floors? You mean we're still in the castle?"

"Yes. This town is just an illusion, created fom his memories."

"Who's memories, 427?"

"Sora's. You're seeing what he's seen." The two looked back at each other. "The cards make it that way."

"Oh, and I think I remembered something! I remember Aerith telling me to watch out for Nabuki!" 427 was surprised again.

"That's a good start. But do you know anything else?" Cedeile pouted as she thought back to the memory.

"There's two other people with me, but I don't know who they are. That's it." 427 nodded slowly and looked over across the square, to a staircase beyond a doorway.

"Then we'll go on for now. We must catch up to Sora. Maybe he really can help you remember..." she said.

"Good! Then let's go!" Cedeile ran for the stairs, but the ground began to shake, causing her to fall over. From the sky above dropped a huge suit of armor. On it's chest was a heart-shaped symbol in black and red. 427 took out her small sword and ran to Cedeile's aid.

"Do you remember what that is?"

"No!" Cedeile yelled back.

"It's called a Guard Armor. Do you know what it is?"

"YOU ALREADY ASKED M-" Another image flashed into her head.

_"Only one person knows what the heartless truly are." Another voice said. A woman with long red hair wearing a long pink dress entered the room, carefully closing the door behind her. "He was named Ansem, and he wrote a report on them."_

"Heartless?" Cedeile asked, quoting Aerith from her memory. "Another memory!"

"You remembered something?" 427 asked, but Cedeile ignored her question and stood up. She whipped out the heartblade and pointed it at the Guard Armor.

"I'm gonna defeat you and then I'll get my memories back!"

* * *

6H:End of chapter 5!

Anaretsu: Thank kami-sama!

6H: Sure, sure. The usual complaining. Anyway, I hope you all bombard me with reviews! I could really use them. More reveiws equals more insperation...which means better chapters faster...are you doing the math yet?

Anaretsu: Yes!

6H: And what do you get?

Anaretsu: 2 pi to the negative one-fourth power times the cubed root of 450!

6H: I was looking more for "the readers should give me alot of reviews."

Anretsu: No one will review, baka! This story sucks!

6H: No it doesn't! Please keep reading everyone!


	6. Floor 06:Fighting and Blood

6H: Chapter six is here! And I'm the Six of Hearts!

Anaretsu: We are aware, baka.

6H: You know, baka yami, you can't call me hikari anymore.

Anaretsu: Why not?

6H: Because the fans might confuse me with Hikari Tagami, that's why.

Hikari: Why does everyone say my last name too?

6H: Cause it sounds cool! Now to the story!

* * *

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 06-Fighting and Blood

* * *

"I'll fight you to get my memories back!" Cedeile yelled at the Guard Armor heartless, pointing the heartblade at it. "So get ready, because I'm not holding back!" She charged at it without waiting for 427 and sturck it in the head. A great burst of blue light erupted from the impact point. 427 watched emotionlessly.

'Well, at least she has some of her fighting instinct back. She's not exactly sure of what she's doing, but she's pushing forward with it anyway, to try and force herself to remember. Incrediable.' she thought as she watched Cedeile fight. The red-clad girl flipped in the air and attacked it from directly above as she soared over. It seemed phased for a moment, like it was going to go down at last. Cedeile landed behind it and smirked cockily.

"So, you're dead already? I thought you'd put up more of a fi-" It began moving again and swung it's floating arm around, wacking her into a wall. She winced as she moved. Her shoulder felt busted, and she had sustained a few cuts on her face, arms, and legs from debris. She slowly got up and leaned on the wall briefly before getting back up again. "It doesn't matter! Even if my left arm is useless, I'll still keep fighting, so I can remember!" She ran in at it again, holding onto the heartblade with just one hand this time. The guard armor came at her with its huge hand and smacked her down on the ground. Before she could get up, it pressed one of it's armored feet on her and crushed her into the ground. She cried out. As the squeezing increased, Cedeile felt her ribs shaking, as if they were about to break from the force. Desperate for survival, she brought her legs up from the ground and kicked the foot with all her might. Surprisingly, it went flying a few feet away. Cedeile got up slowly and then launched her own attack on the heartless again. The light caused it to stagger backwards a bit, but then it came at her again. She landed on the ground hard and the heartblade flew out of her hand.

Fighting here in this place...it did seem somewaht famillar to her. She had fought in this place before, but when? And with who...?

_"Hey, we just beat all those heartless!" Cedeile said in a moment of realization. "That was pretty cool. We make a good team, don't you think?"_

'Memories!' she thought in shock as the Guard Armor brought down it's hand to crush her again, but 427 intervined and pushed it out of the way by tackling it. She landed on her feet and faced the heartless.

"Get up! We have to finish this guy." she said without facing her.

"Sure, come right in after I do all the hard stuff." Cedeile murmured. As she stood, blood dripped on the ground. 'I remember this feeling...the feeling of being covered in your own blood during a tough battle. But why...?' She summoned the heartblade back to her hand and joined 427. The two attack relentlessly until the creature fell apart into several pieces and the stairway was unblocked. Cedeile fell to her knees on the ground in exhuastion, panting heavily. 427 stood, her back turned to the heartblade master, staying silent. "Well..." Cedeile said inbetween breaths. "We sure beat that one! Real good! Heh heh..." 427 glanced back briefly.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked, not sounding really concerned.

"I think so. I know it's strange, but I feel used to this-getting beaten up badly and having blood running down my skin. It's a little weird..." She said, laughing a bit, even though it hurt. Suddenly, she felt a cool sensation run over her body and felt all the pain go away. She looked up at 427 in surprise. "Agent 427?"

"It's a potion. I have plenty, so don't worry about it." he said bluntly. Cedeile smiled.

"I think you and I could be friends." she said happily.

"Maybe not. I'm a Trinity Solider, after all. I have my misson, and you have yours. Let's keep them seperate. Come on." And she walked towards the stairs. Cedeile frowned, but followed her up the stairs.

* * *

"She's better than I thought." Axel said after witnessing the battle. Lakchine rolled her eyes.

"Is that your excuse for not meeting her on the next floor?" she asked.

"No way! I just have better things to watch than a little girl being led around by the hand of an nameless nobody. Besides, she hasn't even begun to remember everything...Didn't you want to have some fun with her?" Axel glanced at her from the corner of his eye, smirking.

"A little. There is better prey in this castle."

"The keyblade master, huh?" Axel laughed. "He's a little immature, though. And he has most of his memories in tact. He's no fun for you." He shook his head and laughed again. "It's ironic, isn't it-the keyblade master is forgetting everything while the heartblade master is remembering! It's priceless!"

"Don't get hysterical over it." A new voice said. Lakchine turned to the doorway.

"Vixen...what are you doing here?" she asked coldly. He slinked in, a small grin on his face.

"I just found out something very interesting." he said. "It seems Sora's friend Riku is down in the basements now."

"You mean the one locked behind the door with the king?" Lakchine asked.

"Yes. He's aura is very much like the superior's." Vixen said seriously.

"What are you going to do with him?" Axel asked. The two others looked over at him. "I know you've got something hidden up your sleeves." Vixen chuckled.

"Well, I DO have a little pet project planned. I think Sora will find it very interesting." he replied.

"You mean the 'pet' part quite literally. What happened to the last one you did, anyway? That half-angel, was it?" Lakchine asked, distastfully. She was disgusted by Vixen's work..

"It's a half-angel-demon, for god's sake! Get it right! Well,its not going to take care of Sora the way I want him to be taken care of. I want him to really have to suffer, and what better way to put him against his best friend? When it's finished, get Namine to arrange his memories for me."

"Do it yourself!" Lakchine yelled at him. but Axel put out a hand to tell her to cease.

"Sure. Just don't let your angel-demon or whatever to get in the way. Its got a bad temper, you know." he said the Vixen.

"Gladly. Now, if you excuse me-there is data to be gathered." He turned and left the room, heading down the stairwell. Lakchine scowled.

"He's such a freak. Almost looks like a woman." she grumbled.

"Yeah. A real scary one. But he's on our side, Lakchine. Either way, it doesn't matter how we do it-we just have to get rid of the heartblade master so that she doesn't interfear." he said.

"How do we do that?" she asked.

"Do you want to take care of her, or should I?" he asked impatiently. She crossed her arms.

"Fine. I'll take her after she leaves the second floor. I have a feeling she's already entered the next room." From the stairwell, a figure moved and head down the stairs. It almost looked like it's silluette had two curved wings...

* * *

"I'm no puppet..."Riku whispered angrily under his breath. "Not any more. Not ever again." He walk up the stairs to the eleventh basement and collapsed on the top stair. It had been a tough battle against Ansem, a former guest to Riku's body. The scars still seemed fresh-the feeling of another entering his body, his soul being shredded into pieces and then slowly coming back together to heal, the pain of being trapped on the other side...

He just wanted to rest for a bit, to sleep for a little while. It wouldn't hurt to try and rest up now to gain some strength back. Then, a voice called out to him.

"Riku!" the voice called. It was famillar...

"Your highness?" he asked, slightly slurred.

"Come on...get up now. You can't stop just yet." the king said. Riku looked up and crawled over the last stair and saw a slightly translucent king standing there. "I'm sorry I can't be there with you just yet, but I will be here soon." he said.

"Your highness, what happened to us? After the door closed-what happened! How did I get out! How did I even get here?" Riku asked.

"I'm not sure. It's a little blurry."

"Or are we still behind the door?" Riku asked.

"This place is called Castle Oblivion. I don't know much about it, but there's something sinister going on here.You better be careful as you traverse these halls, Riku." the king warily. "I sense some bizarre auras, many of them are out of place. Some are just...strange."

"Strange how?" Riku asked, concerned.

"One presence...it's a mix of in-between and non-existant...there's darkness, and a light...no maybe that's in-between too, but it's so powerful. Someone in this castle has powerful magic."

"Who are they? Hikari Tagami is here, too?"

"No! It's not Hikari...it's...someone...someone else. And...that can't be right...but I feel the aura of Cedeile."

"Cedeile is here?" Riku nearly yelled.

"Be on your guard, though. Her aura is slightly altered." Riku was even more worried than he had been when he first heard of the strange auras.

"Altered HOW? Please, your highness! Tell me!" Riku begged. The king looked pained as he tried to search for an anwser.

"Well...I'm not sure, but it feels just a little different from the last time I felt it. A little dimmer. And while I'm not sure what that means, that doesn't mean you should just go off and find out for yourself." he slightly scolded, almost like a parent. Riku smiled as he heard the parent-like tone in the king's voice, reminding him of his own mother.

_"Riku, how many times am I going to have to tell you to stop fighting? It's not good for you or Cedeile!" _his mother often said while she bandaged his cuts from his "arguements" with Cedeile._ "You don't accomplish anything by beating each other up." _She would then look up at him and smile gently._ "You only end up knocking out each others teeth..." _

'I miss her...she must be worried...'

"Riku? Promise me you won't go after Cedeile right now. Just wait a moment until I can look into this further, alright?" Riku shrugged, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and smiled good naturedly.

"Sure." he agreed easily. The king smiled.

"Thank you. Now, I'm going to find a way to you, alright? Keep fighting, Riku. Remember, you are never alone." And with that, the image faded. Riku smiled and found it much easier to continue on his way. He had been fully healed by the king.

'Of course I'm not alone. My heart is with Aru...safe near her own. Ansem will never get his hands on it.' he thought, the reminder of that black chain making him feel warm and safe as if his mother was holding him, like when he was young.

* * *

_The little silver-haired boy walked up to his house sniffing, Sora at his side. Though tears streaked down his dirty face, he looked more angry than sad. The two boys turned and walked through the gate up to Riku's house. _

_"Are you sure you're okay? That was a big clump of hair she ripped out of your head, and then she did bite your ankle so hard that you screamed." Riku rubbed out his eyes again. He was covered in black dirt, and blood trickled from his mouth and some open scrapes. _

_"I'm FINE!" he insisted, though his shaking voice didn't confrim it. "Why don't you walk HER home. She is just a girl!" he yelled. _

_"I heard that, stupid!" a girl's voice yelled back. The two boys turned around and saw a young girl with black hair, cut crookedly now with clumps going down as long as her elbows and some clumps not even covering the back of her neck. Her dark emerald eyes glared back at Riku. She was dressed in a white t-shirt with a red stripe around the middle and bottom, and had some holes and dirt smeared on it. Her shorts, the left leg nearly ripped off, were a dark khaki color. On her feet were losely tied red sneakers that were a little too big for her and covered with mud. _

_"Go home, Cedeile! I hate you!" Riku yelled, lungeing at her. Sora grabbed onto him just in time, his little arms grabbing around the other boy's waist. "You are the stupidest, ugliest girl I've ever seen! You deserve to get your hair cut off!"_

_"You shut up!" Cedeile yelled back, looking more hurt than she was going to let on. Tears were pouring from her eyes. "I was trying to grow my hair out cause it looked nice, and then you ruined it! Now I have to get it cut real short again!" her voice shook-Sora and Riku could both tell that she was about to break down any moment. But Riku didn't care. _

_"Please stop, you guys! No more fighting!" Sora begged. _

_"You don't care about anyone but yourself, Riku! I bet your mom cries every night about you, because your so mean!"_

_"I'd never hurt my momma! What about you? Your brother died a few years back, didn't he?" Cedeile froze, her eyes wide. "I bet it's your fault! How else could a two year old die? I bet you, YOU KILLED YOUR BROTHER!" Riku didn't realize the consquence of what he said. Cedeile nearly fell on her butt on the sidewalk and began sobbing loudly. Riku broke free of the stunned Sora's grasp and chased after her. She began to limp away, too injured from their fight to run, so it was easy for Riku to pounce on her and send her flying to the ground with him on top of her back. She cried into the dusty road, her cries louder than before. _

_"THIS is what you get for talking about my momma like that! I'd never hurt my momma, unlike you and your brother." Cedeile burried her face in the ground and mumbled something between sobs and gasps for breath. "What was that? I didn't hear you." Riku taunted. He losened his grip so Cedeile could flip around and face him. When she turned her face to him, he was shocked. She'd been crying harder than he'd ever seen her cry before-and she never cried. She gripped her teeth and choaked out what she said before._

_"I...did kill my brother. It's all my fault!" she said, almost silently as she choaked on her own tears. Riku slid himself off of her in shock as she stumbled to her feet and limped the rest of the way home, screaming for her own mother. Sora walked up next to him._

_"You're...awful, Riku." Sora said to him. As the brown haired boy walked away to his own home, Riku sat in the road, feeling awful for what he did.

* * *

_

Riku stopped dead in his tracks. He was amazed at how mean he had been when he was only six. And there were more fights like that. It varried in what injuries they sustained and who won, and what words were exchanged, but it was almost the same in method-they'd get into a fight, then throw punches, get dirty and bloody, exchange some insults, go back to the other island, stagger home, and then on the way home throw some more insults at each other. He remembered that fight particually. It had started because, while Cedeile was sleeping under a palm tree, he noticed that her hair was longer than usual. Then he got the sinister idea to cut it so horriblely so as to make Cedeile run home crying. And he had done the most awful job he could, and was so pleased with himself that he accidently laughed before he left, waking her up. She noticed her hair and then, bam!-they were on the ground tangling it up and beating the crap out of each other. He was surprised he didn't have a bald spot from where, with her bear hands, she ripped out a clump of his hair, though he had had a faint scar on his ankle from her teeth.

'I feel so awful now that I've remembered that. I don't...even deserve to be friends with any of them, not after all my sins.' he walked on and up the stairs to where the next fight awaited him.

* * *

As Cedeile and 427 entered a white hall similar to the one they had been in before they were in Traverse Town. Cedeile stopped as she looked around the room.

'We never left the castle...this is like the room I entered before, through the mirror...'

"Are you done gawking?" 427 asked, annoyed. Cedeile noticed that she was already at the doors to the next room.

"I'm coming." Cedeile said as she ran up after her. 427 thrusted the doors open and the both walked through the threshold, facing the bright light. When it cleared and they were on the other side, Cedeile saw a desert town with a majestic palace rising up in the distance. "I'm I supposed to remember this place, too?"

"No. These are HIS memories, not yours. You've never been here, so don't worry about it." 427 told her.

"427...whose memories are we following?" Cedeile asked. 427 turned back to her.

"Sora's memories, of course." she replied cooly.

"Sora's! Then at the end of this memory trail, we'll find him, right?" she asked excitedly.

"If he doesn't get himself killed, yes."

"Alright! Leon said that Sora was the one who could help me remember! If we go quickly, we might catch him!" Cedeile said hopefully.

"Well, at least you're excited. But we have to be careful in Agrabah. Thins are not what they seem here..." 427 warned.

"This time, don't run off and leave me behind." Cedeile said, smirking, and then ran down the street.

* * *

6H:WAH! I wanna get to the more interesting parts!

Anaretsu: There are no interesting parts.

6H: Shut up! So, what do you think of Riku and Cedeile's past? They were pretty violent kids.

Anaretsu: Kids raised with violence are smarter and stronger...and have VIOLENCE!

6H: Indeed. I was only 13 when I saw Inuyasha fo the first time (it was ep. 4, too) and I turned out okay!

Anaretsu: No you didn't, baka. You're a lifeless loser.

6H: ...well...whatever! Please give me lots of reviews!

Anaretsu: You know begging doesn't work!


	7. Floor 07:Vixen's Experiments

6H: Welcome to chapter 7!

Anaretsu: That's a good thing?

6H: Okay...um, I'm tired, so let's just get to the fic.

* * *

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 07-Vixen's Experiements

* * *

"At last, you are nearly complete. The only thing left to do is to find the boy Riku so that I may imput his data into you." Vixen said to his newest creation. On the metal table in the center of Vixen's room layed the exact mirror image of Riku-an imatation of him. He seemed to be asleep, his eyes peacfully closed, making him look almost harmless. Also scattered about the room were tools, machines, and other things that Vixen used in his experiments. "You are my greatest plan yet." he smirked. It had taken alot of strength and power to create this fake Riku, but he had done it well, and soon, it would be able to move.

A hooded figure came into the room, but lingered in the doorway. This one still wore his hood. Vixen turned to look over his shoulder.

"Yes?" Vixen asked.

"Riku is about to reach the next floor. Don't you want to meet him there?" the figure asked.

"Gladly. I'll go right now." The hooded one nodded and walked out of the room. Vixen looked around his room one more time and then headed out the door and down the stairs. For a moment, the room was silent, dead still. Then, a new figure stood in the doorway, and slowly entered the room.

This one looked feminine with it's black hair tied losely into a small loop and then the ends sweeping gracfully around the neck to rest on the collar bone. It wore a lose grey dress-like robe with mint colored decoration and trim. A gray shawl wrapped around the left arm and dragged on the floor behind it. But out of its back were two wings-a dull gray, curved, and made up of feathers. The wings were not quite angelic, nor demonic-something In-between them. Its golden eyes spotted the imation Riku on the table and walked towards him.

"You are the one...his 'master project.' You're pathetic, a human. Why am I not good enough to do the job he created you to do? I am, after all, half angel-demon. A child of In-between's power. Yet he shuns me and embraces you instead..." the angel-demon looked around the room and found a large glass pillar with wires hanging down inside of it. "That is where I was born. The closest thing I've had to a birth was in there..." It remembered wakeing up for the first time and seeing Vixen, Axel, Lakchine, and Zexion standing around itself, Vixen admiring his work, and Lakchine's haunting words.

_"Vixen...my god, what have you done?"_

"You are human, at least. Normal, like these fools who run around this castle and hide themselves behind Namine. I am an outcast, with different blood and different traits. I am half angel-demon, but I know not what my other side is." it glared back at the Riku laying on the table. "You are lucky. At least, until I kill you." Suddenly, footsteps sounded on the stairs. With a swift, yet silent, flap of its wings, it rose to the ceiling and slipped into a black hole that opened behind it. Leaxus entered the room, looking around.

"Vixen? You in here talking to yourself again?" he yelled, but no response. He shrugged his shoulders in confusion and headed back downstairs.

* * *

_"I'm glad you all came. Where's Leaxus? And the superior?" Vixen asked the others._

_"They couldn't make it." Axel replied. "They had...things to take care of."_

_"What do you have for us this time, Vixen?" Zexion asked. Vixen smirked and led them to a glass tank filled with green water. The water was illuminated on it's own, and cast an eeire light in the dark room. _

_"This is my greatest creation yet." Vixen said as he gestured to the figure inside. A genderless form hung from wires in the tank and floated in the green water. Behind the figure were two gray wings. It opened its gold eyes and looked at them all, a sad expression etched on its face. "Behold, one and all-an angel demon! One of the ones of In-between! They are not truely a combination of an angel and a demon-they are an entirely different race. But they are called angel-demons because they sit between the angels of light and the demons of darkness to keep the peace of the land, just like In-between balances light and darkness." The others looked on with silent awe, but Axel began clapping loudly._

_"Impressive." Axel said, whistling. "This is something big, Vixen. Even for you."_

_"But that's not all..."Vixen said, smirking evilly. "This one I made is a half angel-demon." Axel stopped clapping and his eyes went wide._

_"Half-?"_

_"That's right. Half. Isn't it brilliant? It was harder than I thought it would be at first, but now she's complete. Well, she doesn't technically have a gender-I failed on that part-but she does look more like a woman than a man." Lakchine walked slowly to the tank, but remained a good five feet away from it, looking up at the poor creature trapped within, she seemed to be mentally sympathising with it. She turn to look at Vixen, her turquoise eyes filled with sorrow._

_"Vixen...my god, what have you done?"

* * *

_

"Holy crap!" Cedeile yelled as she just narrowly dodged a fireball. The fat bandit came at her again, blowing fire in a constant stream. She back-handspringed away and landed on her feet, sliding in the sand. "Damn it! These ones are annoying!" she yelled. 427 was taking on a couple of bandits and doing very well against them. She matched them move for move, her sword clanging against their's. Cedeile was impressed with her fighting ability.

'She's light on her feet, but she has a strong enough impact. And she's really fast too. Is it from special training as a Trinity Solider?' she wondered as the Fat Bandits came after her again. She dodged, but then felt something hot strike through her. She cried out and fell backwards. Look up after she recovered, she discovered a Yellow Oprea or two had joined the fight against her. The electric attack still pulsed through her body. Where did this feeling feel famillar?

_"Have fun in hell!" A lady with blonde hair and a chain yelled at her, swinging the eletrically charged chain down at her..._

'Another memory?' she thought, but didn't have time to linger on it for too long, because the fat bandits were coming for her again. She jumped up into the air, sailing down towards them. "It's been fun, but I think it's time for you to go! HOLY PURIFICATION!" She drew the light cross in the air and sent it flying at them. The light took out the one and the Yellow Operas, but one Fat Bandit was still left. "Stubborn, aren't we? HOLY PURIFICATION!" She hit him with that and a three step combo move. It burst apart in a flash of light, finally defeated. Cedeile turned back to 427, who was now making quick work of the shadows around her. Cedeile was about to rush in to help, but suddenly, shespotted on a ledge above a barrel with long, spiney legs-a Barrel Spider. It lept into the air and began descending on her.

"427! WATCH OUT!" Cedeile yelled. She ran as fast as she could and pushed the other girl out of the way. The two narrowly missed the Barrel Spider as it crashed to the ground, landing on it's long legs. It scrambled about for a moment and then exploded, hitting the two girls in the blast. Cedeile took the brunt of it as she was on top of 427. Sand went flying everywhere, nearly burying the two girls alive. When the smoke clear, Cedeile began to push herself up, and sat off to the side, spitting sand out of her mouth and shaking out her hair. 427 sat upright and looked over at her.

"You saved me back there." 427 said bluntly, as if it happened all the time.

"Yeah, well...I couldn't just let you get crushed. Yuck, sand tastes disgusting!" She shook her head rapidly, side to side, to get some more sand out of her hair. She untied her bandana and shook it out too, standing to look around. "Anyway, I think we got them all for now." She said absent-mindedly. "So we'll have a short break."

"Why did you help me?" 427 asked.

"Why not? You're helping me after all." Cedeile said, grinning broadly. "Even if we just met, I want to think of you as a friend who I can depend on. Is that right?" 427 looked to the ground, a pained look on her face.

'Is this what you meant? You told me the heartblade master had a genrous heart that wants to accept everyone. Is this what you were telling me about?' she thought. Cedeile's grin faded as she noticed the shift in 427's mood.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Cedeile asked. 427 looked up, her amber eyes serious.

"Cedeile...nevermind, it's nothing." 427 stood up and brushed off her clothes as well. 'I won't tell her just yet. Not till she remembers a little more.'

"Okay. Whatever. So, shouldn't we keep heading forward? We have to catch Sora!" she pouted.

"I know, I know. Let's go!" Cedeile nodded and the two dashed off, running through the streets of Agrabah.

* * *

Vixen returned to the room where his new creation lay, still not awakened yet. He smirked as he wiped a trickling of blood away from his lips.

"Riku had advanced through the first few floors rather quickly. Excellent..." He looked at his creation. "Soon, you will be complete..." he took out a small computer chip from under his blue Ice Sheild, and placed it on the back of the fake's neck. It diffused through the skin and sunk into place. The boy's ice blue eyes opened slowly and he sat up on his own. Squinting his eyes shut, he grabbed the back of his neck, his face twisted in mild pain.

"Where...where am I?" he asked, confused.

"You're in Castle Oblivion...Riku." Vixen said. 'Riku' turned to look at him.

"Who are you?"

"The one who made you. I am Vixen. You work for me, now. And you have a certain task you must accomplish. You are not the original Riku, you see. I created you in the image of the real Riku and gave you his battle data so that you may become him, or rather, accel above and beyond him. And that you may defeat a boy named Sora." Riku smirked at him.

"Yeah? Who says I have to do what you say?" he said cockily.

"You'll surely beat the original. He is weak...and afraid of the darkness. Why don't you watch for a bit..." He waved his hand to a spot across the room. A huge, white glass orb stood in a base on the floor. Every member of the organization had one of these in their own private room as well as the main one up in the top of the castle and the other one in the top basement. Riku Replica walked slowly over to the orb and an image of the real Riku appeared, fighting off the heartless in a brutal battle in Traverse Town, down in basement eight.

"Why doesn't he just use the darkness?" The replica asked.

"Because he is afraid of it. And now he's decided to get rid of it all...including himself." Vixen said, peering over him and grabbing onto the boy's shoulders. He spun the imitation around and knelt down, looking straight into the boy's eyes. "Understand? You want to get rid of him. You will fight him first. Then you will fight Sora." The boy was speechless. "Listen, you are my greatest project yet. If you defeat Riku...then you'll BE the real Riku. Isn't that what you want?" He thought on it for a moment.

"...Yes. I want to be the real Riku." From up in the ceiling, the angel-demon watched, it's head and shoulders hanging out of a black portal in the ceiling. It glared at the two as Vixen smirked evilly at his creation.

'There was a time when _I_ was his greatest work.' It thought angrily. It retreated back through the portal and reappeared on one of the tall glass rose pillars of Castle Oblivion's hallways-one that Sora or anyone else under the castle's spell would ever see. For as a person used the cards to make the illusions of memory appear, the magic in the card covers up what is real. It is almost as if the person is in another dimension. The angel-demon saw proof of this when Sora ran wildly down the hallway, Donald and Goofy lagging behind. The three were semi-transparent figures, and made no sound as they ran. Axel and Lakchine came walking from the other direction and made no notice as Sora and his friends ran through them. They also didn't notice the angel-demon watching them closely.

"Vixen's plan is...clever..."Axel said, giving it much thought.

"I don't like his methods. Too many of his crazy experiments are running around the castle all ready." Lakchine said, distastefully.

"That's true. His half demon scares me the most."

"Its a half angel-demon, idiot." she responded. "But yeah. That thing makes me uneasy."

"Kind of cruel to call it a 'thing', huh?"

"You know its genderless. Vixen told us, and we saw it for ourselves. Of course, it does look more like a girl."

"It doesn't matter. I haven't seen it around lately."

"Probably is hiding somehwere. Come on, you've got work to do. He's almost left the third floor." And the two drifted out of site. The angel-demon clenched its teeth on its perch and gripped its hands into fists.

"I hate them all." it said under its breath. "I will KILL everyone in Castle Oblivion. I swear it."

* * *

6H: Aren't I great?

Anaretsu: No.

6H: Bombard me with reviews!


	8. Floor 08:Angeldemon vs Riku Replica!

6H: Okay, story so far-Cedeile loses all her memories, Agent 427 of the Trinity Soliders shows up and now has to 'babysit' our amenisic heartblade master, and now the both of them are trying to catch up to Sora, who Leon said could help get her memories back. Meanwhile, Ryu and Aru get into fights with two of Castle Chocobo's guardians-Mint and Cerulean, while Cloud and Rose search the castle for Cedeile. Back with the origanization, Vixen has just made his Riku replica, Namine is erasing Sora's memories, Vixen's genderless half angel-demon has vowed to kill everyone inside Castle Oblivion, Lakchine and Axel have made a plan to bring Cedeile to their side, and in the basements, Riku is slowly progressing on his own.

Anaretsu: Cause we really need a recap...(eye roll)

6H: Who was 427's promise to? What does she have to tell Cedeile? Will Axel and Lakchine capture Cedeile? What of Ryu and Aru? What's really going on in Castle Chocobo? What will the angel-demon do? Find out by reading, of course!

* * *

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 08-Angel-demon vs. Riku Replica! The Pain of Imitation

* * *

"Your majesty..." Rose said softly, appearng behind Cloud's throne where his sat, leaning on his hand and dozing slightly.

"Yes?" he asked, almost in a whisper. Rose came around the throne.

"I have searched all the floors. The heartblade master is no where to be found." Cloud sighed as he sat upright and tried to shake off sleep. Rose looked down at the floor, disapointed.

"It can't be helped. She must've forgotton my warning. It doesn't matter-I'll just go have a talk with him." He said, standing. Rose's head shot up.

"No! It's too-"

"He can't touch me, Rose. You know that." Cloud replied to her plea.

"I know you can get there...but can you get back?" she asked as he walked towards a black framed mirror. He stopped, his back to her, and stood very still.

"Of course." he said, almost cocky. "Watch over things while I'm gone, alright? You're in charge." He began to step through the mirror.

"But your majesty--!" it was too late-he was already on the other side. Rose sighed and sat down in the throne in the dark room. She picked up the small oracle that held the memories of their guests inside. Also through it, she could see the mage and the fragment hunter. The mage seemed much different in her appreance than before, and the boy was simply lying in the snow. Rose scowled. "They were too hard on them. I should've told them to be more careful."

* * *

"What is it, Sora?" Donald suddenly asked. Sora looked back at him, surprised. Then he realized he had stopped dead in the middle of Wonderland.

"I just thought I felt something...an aura I recognized." he said, unsurly.

"Come to think of it, I've forgotton all about auras since we started going through the castle!" Donald said. "I have no idea what's around us! It's like I shut off my senses...stupid me..."

"Y'know, I noticed you weren't sayin' stuff like 'someone with power in near,' and stuff like you used to say when we were with Miss Aru and Ryu." Goofy said. "You were always talkin' about Miss Aru's aura, ayuk!"

"Yeah..."Sora said wistfully, remembering the end of his last journey. His neck didn't feel the same without his crown chain, but he knew that it was more important for Cedeile to have it. He wanted her to have a part of him, so she wouldn't forget...

"I sense Cedeile!" Donald yelled out suddenly. "She's a few floors behind us, but she's progressing!"

"Cedeile is here? We have to go to her!" Sora yelled. He began to sprint back the way they came.

"No Sora, wait! Cedeile's aura is different from usual. I'm afraid that it might be a trap!" Donald called after him. Sora stopped in his tracks. He didn't want to lead his friends-and himself-into a trap, but still, if it was Cedeile, then he wanted to see her. He hadn't seen her since the last...

"Sora?" Goofy asked. Sora turned and walked back to them.

"Let's go onward. If it's really Cedeile, then we'll meet her later." Sora replied.

* * *

"So, you're looking for your memories?" The boy asked Cedeile. She and 427 had met him on the streets in a hard battle, which he helped them win, and then took them to his secret home. His name was Aladdin, and currently, the three of them were sitting in a circle, talking about the heartless and such.

"Yup. I have no idea what happened to them." Cedeile replied. "I just woke up in some dark place."

"I see. That's rough."

"Tell me about it. I had one hell of a headache."

"Either way..."427 inserted, "we need to get your memories back as soon as possible." She looked at Aladdin. "Do you know how we might do that?"

"I have no idea. I've never seen such strange looking people around here though. You with your pale hair and skin, and Cedeile, I thought you were a guy at first, till I saw your long hair and your chest." Cedeile's viens burst in her head.

"DO I LOOK LIKE A GUY? Good god!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way!" Aladdin quickly added. "It's just..."

"You know, one of my friends used to say I looked like a guy alot when I was little." 427's eyes went wide.

"What?"

"You heard me! I said, someone used to-"

"I know! But Cedeile! You just remembered something!" 427 told her forcefully. Cedeile took a while to comprehend what had been said to her.

"Oh...OH! I just remembered a memory!" Cedeile yelled, springing up to stand on her feet.

"Go figure." 427 said sarcasticly.

"Well that's good. Your search just got a little shorter." Aladdin said, grinning.

"Yeah, that's true. But still..." She walked towards a large gap in the wall that served as a window pulled the curtains aside. She now had a clear view of the entire city. "...I've got a long way to go." 427 seemed to be thinking intensly, and then turned her head slightly.

"There has to be another way for you to remember." she said. "At this rate, someone will kill us or it'll be too late by the time you do remember everything." Cedeile turned to look back at Agent 427.

"You're right." Cedeile said.

"If I hadn't sent the genie with Sora, than he could've helped you remember." Aladdin said, slightly sad.

"SORA?" Cedeile gawked. "Sora was HERE?"

"Yeah. A little while ago. He left before you came, though. Why?" Aladdin asked, confused and surprised by her sudden outburst.

"Because he's the keyblade master! And Leon told me that Sora could help me get my memories back!" Cedeile explained excitedly. "But we haven't met up with him yet." Now she was frustrated as she frowned and crossed her arms, sinking into deep thought about how to get up through the castle faster, or get her memories back quicker.

"Yeah. He's long gone, so you won't find him here. He said something about a castle." Aladdin's forehead crinkled in thought, as he tried to recall the exact words of the keyblade master. "I don't remember the rest of what he told me. Something about a guy named...Riku?"

"That name's not famillar either." Cedeile said sadly. 'Why can't I remember what's important?' she thought angrily.

"We're wasting time standing around here, anyway. Either we come up with something, or move on." 427 said seriously.

"Well, there is...another genie..."Aladdin told them, seeming to regret every word he said. "...but..."

"WHERE?" Cedeile yelled out, running back over to him, but tripping over a table and landing on the floor face first. She lifted her head, shook it from side to side, and looked back up at him. "Where is this genie? I'll wish for my memories back!"she demanded, determined to find this new way at any cost.

"He's an...evil genie...and Sora just sealed him away...so..."He rolled his eyes to the ceiling to avoid looking at her, but then his pupils wandered back to the floor where she lay. Suddenly, her hands darted up and grabbed his shirt around the collar.

"You tell me where that genie is!" she growled through clenched teeth.

"I don't know if it's such a good idea!" he responded quickly, hopeing to get off the subject. Cedeile tugged harder on his shirt, making it leave a nice burn mark in the back of his neck.

"I SAID TELL ME!" she screamed at him.

"But-"

"TELL ME!"

"I can't! It's way too dangerous! This genie used to be an evil sorceror!"

"I don't care! Bring me to the genie!" 427 rolled her eyes at their argument.

"I'm not going to! It took all we had to seal him away! And you want me to bring him back?"

"HELL YES I want you to bring him back! That way I can remember!"

"But what if you remember the wrong things?"

"DON'T TRY AND CHANGE MY MIND!" she yelled, loud enough to make the birds sitting on the ledge outside the window to scatter, like they saw the biggest cat ever, a cat who happened to be starved in the desert for 40 days.

"Would the two of you stop it. It's getting annoying." 427 demanded fiercely. Grudgingly, Cedeile let go of him and sat upright, while Aladdin rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm telling you, it's not a good idea." he said, trying one last time to stop her.

"And I'm tellin' you-I'm ready for anything. Any danger, any peril- you name it, I'll do it for my memories." She replied confidently, putting on a cocky smirk.

* * *

When Ryu opened his eyes again, he felt a rush of pain hit him like a tsunami. Then it slightly resided, easing up enough for him to get up and move. He sat upright, and ran his hands over his face and through his hair, wiping the cold wetness off of him. He looked down at the ground and found blood everywhere. He slowly stood again and brushed the snow off his cloak and pants. Looking around, he found no one else in sight again.

'Well, at least Cerulean isn't here. I don't think I could fight her again anyway.' he thought. He began walking, taking pained steps and leaning on the tree for support. As he staggered away from the tree and further down the path, he noticed the sunlight streaking low across the ground, as if it had just rose.

'How long was I out for? Whatever. I'll just keep following this path.' he thought as he swayed down the path through the silent woods.

* * *

The Riku replica was sitting, waiting for his chance. Vixen had said not to do anything yet, but this real Riku person sounded like a pushover. He couldn't wait to toy with him. It would be delightful to mess with his mind. A ruffle of feathers took him out of his thoughts. He looked around him, up to the ceiling, all along the walls-but there was nothing else alive in this room but him. He stood, looking around the room, his ice eyes scanning everything. Nothing was there but cold, white marble.

There it was again. It was unnerving to him. Was someone watching him? He hated that. He wasn't just some scientific wonder to behold like an animal.

Wait a minute. He was. He shrugged off the feeling that there was another presence with him and turned to sit back down again. In a mere second, the figure watching him was on him-clutching his left arm, it's blade like nails streched out two feet from normal and rested as his throat. The wind from all the movement at last blew past him, as if it had been delayed beacuse the assualter was so fast.

"Who might you be?" The replica asked the figure behind him. The figure pressed it's nails closer to his throat.

"I'm Vixen's little experiment with fate." it replied. It was the angel-demon, fury resonating in its voice. Riku smirked.

"I see. I haven't heard about you yet." he replied.

"You won't remember me long. I was Vixen's best experiment-a half angel-demon is quite a feat. Then he abandoneed me for you. You're just a copy of a human. Why are you so great?" it asked.

"I don't know." he replied honestly. "Do you have a name?"

"No. No name, no identity. I'm not a man or a woman-I just am." it replied.

"I see. That is hard. But I'm more perfect in that way." Riku replied cockily.

"Don't mock me..." it told him.

"So, what are you going to do now?" he asked it, closing his eyes with confidence. "Do you think you can kill me?"

"Perhaps I can." she hissed. "Aren't you afraid? Or is it that you are unable to fear." it asked, pressing its nails closer to his skin. "Did Vixen forget to give you feelings? Or did he just want to see how interesting you would be without them?" The replica's face turned into a shocked filled one first, then an angry glare.

"Hardly." he huffed, trying to laugh it off. "At least I can call myself 'he.'" That was the end of talk. It went to slit his throat with a swift move of its hand, but he flew downwards, only losing a few strands of silver hair as he did so, and swung his leg around to knock the angel-demon of its feet. It, however, had different plans, and did a backflip when both feet had been forced off the ground. They landed on oppisite sides of the room, crouched low to the floor and glareing at each other. The whole exchange had only taken about 2 seconds in reality, but it had seemed like much longer to them. Both looked at each other. Riku's eyes thristed for a challenge, a battle. But his enemy's eyes held only relenting hatred. The two charged at each other, Riku drawing his sword and the angel-demon releashing its claws. The claws met the edge of the wing-like blade with trememdous force that blew both weapons back. They tried again with the same results, and kept going at each other-each blocking each other perfectly. When the angel-demon grew bored of this exchange, it flipped back and retracted its nails. It brought out its hidden weapons instead. It stood, holding out both of its hands, and wind currents began to flow upwards from the palms. Magic swords materilized, shaped from the wind, and floated above its hands, ready to kill. Riku replica smirked. This would make the battle more worth while.

"He gave you magic, but no gender." he stated.

"Indeed he did. And with magic, I'll kill you." it stated. The two charged once again, this time Riku was ready for both swords. They both came down, and he went to defend, but the swords went through his blade. Both hit him square in the shoulders, cauing him to cry out and go flying from the extra blast of wind that formed after them. He flew into the wall with great enough force to crack the marble into pieces. He lay on the floor as it came closer to him. "You talk big, but you lack the strength of which you boast. But if I kill you now, then that'll be one person off my list."

"Sh...shut it. You are nothing compared to me. I'm the perfect experiment here. I've got magic too...DARK AURA!" The room around them became pure black, and Riku replica floated into the air by magic. Then in a flash he was gone but not for long. It felt him cut across its diaphram, releasing black liquid that was not quite blood, then again across the back, again going up the the right shoulder, then down the other one, and the last time went for the finishing move-right through the heart. But it was quicker than that and turned, thrusting both sword and reextending its nails. All twleve forces ran through him-not enough to kill him, but enough to severly wound him. The darkness faded away to the blank white room-but the floor was not quite white anymore. It had red and black strewn over it now-a sinsiter lake. They stayed frozen for a few more seconds, and then the swords disappeared and the claws were retracted, and he fell to the ground. The angel-demon looked over him.

"I don't know why I don't finish you now." it said, and went to walk past him. A hand grabbed its ankle, causing the angel-demon stop in its tracks.

"You said...you w-were half..." he strained to say. "what's...y-y-your...o-oth-ther side?" The angel demon glared at him and then turned away.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter at this point." And it pulled out of the weaken grasped and walked away.

* * *

"What the hell happened?" Vixen demanded as he burst into the dark room. Zexion and Lexaus were standing there as well. They both raised and eyebrow.

"What are you asking about?" Zexion asked.

"Where is my replica?" Vixen demanded again.

"I haven't seen it down here. Riku is almost through with the 8th basement."

"Exactly! That's why I wan to know where he is!" Vixen yelled. "He should've been in the hall by now, ready to intercept him!" Vixen's viens were bursting out of his head, and his eyes were crazy with anger. Zexion and Lexaus looked at each other sideways with an expression that read "this guy's a moron."

"Well, where did you see him last, Vexen? That's the most logical way to approach it." Lexaus said.

"I don't know. All I said was for him to wait for Riku." Vixen replied, slightly calmer. Lexaus rolled his eyes while Zexion made a stab at it.

"We'll search the castle-all of us. Lexaus and I will do the basements, and you and the others can cover above, alright?" he said. Vixen glared at first, but then nodded slowly.

"That's all we can do. In the meantime, keep the real Riku stalled for as long as possible. Send wave after wave of heartless, if you have to. They're stalling Sora up above. Our plan will not fail! It mustn't!" Vixen cried. He stormed out of the room angrily. Zexion and Lexaus looked after him and then at each other.

"Now what do we do?" Lexaus asked.

"Do what we said we would. Search for his little pet." Zexion replied.

"Do we have to?" his fellow asked.

"Come on." Zexion said to him, annoyed. The two walked out of the room silently, and down the stairs to begin their search. When the room was empty, a black hole opened in the shadowed ceiling, and out came the angel-demon. It looked around for more of its victims, and then sailed back through the portal, not realizing the prey that had left just moments before.

* * *

6H: Close call for Zexion and Lexaus. Yes, I know that's not his name in the english, but I'm trying to use the Jap. names. Besides, I like Lakchine so much better than Larxene.

Anaretsu: Why don't I have a cool name that strikes fear into the hearts of my enemies?

6H: You do, stupid.

Anaretsu:...oh...right.

6H: How is Zexion's name pronouced anyway?

Anaretsu: Who knows?

6H: That's a great question for the veiwers to answer!Okay, my readers, tell me how Zexion's name is pronouced in your reviews! That would require you to review. And flames will be used to burn stupid preps alive!

Anaretsu: Oh yes! That's better than ice cream cake!

6H: Indeed it is...mwuha ha ha...


	9. Floor 09:An Evil Genie and A Reflection

6H: Hello everyone!

Anaretsu: You fools! Run before she starts the chapter!

6H: Shut up! (wacks over the head) Anyway, thank you for all your reviews and support!

Anaretsu: No one's giving you support!

6H: Why'd you have to remind me!

* * *

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 09-An Evil Genie (and A Reflection)

* * *

A shadow passed over the desert sands, interupting the montotony of the sandy waves. The shadow was a magic flying carpet that held three young indivduals. In front was a boy, older than the other two, with dark hair and tanned skin-like he'd lived under this same sun all his life. The next was a girl completely opposite of him-pale skin and pale hair that trailed down her back. And the third sat towards the back, enjoying herself-black hair flying behind her, emerald green eyes glittering with delight.

"WHEEE!" Cedeile yelled as the wind rushed past her.

"Can't you be serious? We're risking our necks for you." 427 said, turning her head to face her.

"I know, but I want to enjoy this. I've never been on a flying carpet before." Cedeile replied, smiling broadly. "I may never get to do this again, so I want to savor it now."

"It may be the last enjoyable thing you do, Cedeile. I'm warning you that this guy is no pushover. And he's bound to be looking for revenge." Aladdin warned, hating himself every moment for every speaking of this crazy idea. "Espically against me."

"Why's he so hell-bent on getting revenge on you?" Cedeile asked.

"Jafar used to be the sultan's visior, but he was ambitious for power and sought to overthrow the sultan and use Princess Jasmine to help him become sultan. Luckily, Sora arrived, but then Jafar got his hands on the lamp the held Genie and wished to become a genie himself. In the end we defeated him, but I don't know how strong the seal over the lamp is. Who knows what will happen if you ask him to grant you your wish." Aladdin explained grimly. Cedeile took it all in.

"I know it might be dangerous, but I really don't care. I want my memories back. That's what's important." Cedeile responded. He shook his head.

"We're almost there." he said seriously. A huge rock began to loom out of the distance, but as they neared, Cedeile realised it wasn't just a rock-it was in the shape of a tiger's head, and had a mystical energy about it. It rose up proudly out of the sand and sat there like it was guarding its own kingdom of treasures, and was rather pleased with itself for doing so.

"Is that it?" 427 asked.

"Yeah. The cave of wonders...that's where we sealed the lamp." Aladdin replied.

'And that's where my memories are.' she thought. The carpet glided closer to the ground and stopped neatly in front of the tiger-head rock. Cedeile and 427 hopped off the carpet while it hoved two feet above the ground with Aladdin on it.

"I'm not going in with you, but I'll wait here. Good luck." he told them both. A desert wind blew as Cedeile smirked confidently (and cockily), and 427 just hardened her stare with confidence. The two girls approached the rock, which opened its mouth for them, and decended into the dark depths.

* * *

They found him in one of the back rooms, laying on the floor, covered in blood. Not just his own blood, but black blood too, and upon further examination they found that it wasn't blood at all. Vixen was outraged-so much time had been wasted already!

"Who did this to him?" he demanded of them. Axel, Lakchine, and Zexion looked at him with expression that read "are you crazy?"

"What do you mean? You think one of us did this?" Lakchine demanded.

"Yes, I very well do!" Vixen replied, matter-of-factly.

"Calm down, you two. As much as I'd like to see Lakchine chewed out for something, we didn't dare touch your precious pet." Axel said. Lakchine glared at him.

"If you didn't do it, then who did?" Vixen asked, arms crossed.

"I thought we had to find him as soon as possible so that he could fight Riku." Zexion inserted, exapserated. Vixen begrudgingly gave in.

"You're right. I'll fix him up now. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Keep Riku stalled until then." Vixen turned his back to them without another words and began his work again. The other three gave each other side glances and walked out of the room.

"He's obessed with this one." Lakchine said once they were out of ear shot.

"He's a scientist, what do you expect? Besides, this one is his perfect creation. And it's a way to get Sora into our grasp." Axel responded to her.

"That doesn't mean he gets to be obessed with it, though." Lakchine spat. Zexion rolled his eyes.

"Vixen is just crazy." he said simply. "Now I'm going back down to the basements to see what's going on down there. Good luck up here." He turned his back and went the other way. Lakchine and Axel ascended a staircase and began climbing up farther into the castle.

"Zexion is right-he is crazy." Axel said after they had walked up a few floors.

"Perhaps. Anyway, I can't wait to toy with Sora. How much longer do I have to wait?"

"A little more. He still has another card to use, you know. He's not going to be a pushover."

"Sure."

"No really. I mean it. He's got something...it's intrigueing."

"You're as obessed as he is."

"But at least I look like a man and not a scary woman." Axel retorted, smirking.

"Oh shut it." she spat back at him, and brushed passed him on the way up the stairs.

* * *

Hikari raised a hand over her eyes to try and see further ahead in the distance. Twilight seemed to be falling on the desert, and a cool wind blew past her, forboding of colder tempetures on their way. Hikari sighed and lowered her hand. She'd been walking the whole day and still couldn't find anything-not a trace of life or a village or anything. She was distraught now, and frustrated.

'At one time, I was the greatest mage in all the world. Now I'm reduced to wandering around the desert in a body that's not even my own. Good god...' a small laughter resounded in the back of her head.

'You are pretty funny when you're frustrated.' Aru repsonded.

'Are you feeling better?'

'Yes. Much.' Aru replied. 'Can I take over?' Hikari hesitated.

'I guess. But if you get tired-'Before Hikari could say anymore, Her body was glowing and changed into Aru's form. She smirked.

"I can take care of myself." Aru said. She began walking on in the same direction as the sun sunk lower and lower under the horizon, and a full moon rose up, casting perfect light over the desert. Aru sighed as she shivered and clasped her arms around her small form to keep warm. It seemed like she wasn't going to find anything in this desert.

'I feel on edge.' Hikari said after a few hours of silence.

'How come?' Aru asked, stopping in her tracks. Hikari thought for a moment.

'It's Mint. She hasn't come back to bother us yet.'

'You're right. We haven't seen her since this morning.' Aru thought suddenly. 'She's waiting to ambush us again!'

'From the air? Like before?' Hikari seemed tense.

'Most likely-it's harder to see shadows at night!' Aru began walking again as another cold gust of wind blew by. Night had bloomed fully over her, and the tempeture was dropping rapidly. She was scared she might die of the cold, so she kept walking, even though she was starting to get tired.

From far behind them, a lone figure stood in the desert. Mint stood completely still as a huge gust of wind blew at her and blew her hair and clothes around. She opened her eyes and looked at the small figure moving farther off towards the horizon.

"Let the dream begin..." she murmered, smirking.

* * *

Cedeile and 427 began to climb deeper into the cave, scaling the dangerous walls. As she found a suitable foothold she moved her foot into it and lowered herself down. A rock crumbled under her hand and her foot slipped in surprise, causing her to swing from her other hand.

"Holy hell!" she cried out as she swung from her arm. 427 climbed down to her-she was a little behind.

"Be more careful." she chided.

"I am careful! It wasn't my fault!" Cedeile whinned at her. The two girls made it down to the floor safely and began to walk through the mysterious cavern. Torches carckled on the wall, lighting the path for them. The slapping of Cedeile's sneakers on the ground and the clickling of 427's heels filled the empty silence as they went, but neither spoke for awhile. There were holes in the floor where the stone had eroded away and below was nothing but pitch blackness. Cedeile made sure to stay clear of them.

"Well, I can see why he didn't want to come in and help us." Cedeile said. "Something about this place unnerves me." 427 didn't replied vocally, but she felt the same way. This feeling set her off more than when she went into the NEO zone with the other Trinity Soilders to help victims. She couldn't understand how HE could stand that endless darkness...

The two walked on, not speaking, only walking. It felt like they weren't alone-an eerie feeling that someone was watching their progress. At last they found themselves in a huge room, piled with mountains of treasure. Gold coin, furniture, prescious paintings, vases, jewlery, a throne made entirely from gold and silver-it was so much to take in.

"WHEEE! Gold bath!" Cedeile yelled as she jumped into a pile of coins. She layed on her back and moved her arms and legs. "Look, 427! A coin angel!" she called. 427 rolled her eyes. She was about to scold Cedeile for acting like an idiot, but Cedeile was already off at another treasure, looking at some necklaces made from emeralds. She strung about twenty around herself and put on several rings and braclets. "Look at all this cool stuff! I don't usually like jewerly, but for now, I'll make an exception!" she said happily as she looked at herself in a gold framed mirror made of rare crystal. "Hey, not bad! Not bad at all!" she said, twirling around. "I feel so giddy, it's stupid! I never used to like this girl stuff." 427 shook her head and put a hand over her face. As Cedeile examined herself in the mirror, she noticed the crown chain hanging off her neck still. "However, this one is the most precious of all. Because it symbolizes a promise."

"Are you finished yet?" 427 asked, annoyed. Cedeile threw off all the jewerly in a tenth of the time it had taken to put it on and ran over to her.

"Sorry about that." she said. "Shall we go on?"

"Yes. Beyond those doors over there." 427 pointed to huge gold doors on the opposite wall. They seemed to be closed tightly. The two headed over there and looked at the massive doors-they extended all the way to the ceiling-which was far up already.

"Can we even get these damn things open?" Cedeile asked, looking up at them. "They look heavy."

"We can always try." 427 anwsered in a flat tone. Cedeile spit in both her hands, rubbed them together, and grasped the doors' handles with all her might and pulled on them, she shoes skidding in the sandy floor. 427 watched with a blank and exasperated expression as Cedeile tried to pull them open. The girl's face was even turning red as she pulled harder.

"GRRRR!" Cedeile yelled as she pulled harder. 427 rolled her eyes and then thought of something.

"Ever try pushing?" she asked. Cedeile's sore hands flew off the the doors as she fell backwards on the ground. 427 simply walked to the door and pushed them inward. They came open with much ease. Cedeile gapped in shock and exasperation. "Coming?"

"Oh damn it. I don't know why I even try." Cedeile whined as they went through the doors. The next room was a little darker than the first. It was a circular room that was a bronzy-red color, and in the center was a platform with a small pillar on it, and on top of the pillar layed a black lamp, sinister looking in the light. 427 and Cedeile starred at it before moving again.

"Are you going?" 427 asked. Cedeile looked at her.

"WHAT? ME? BY MYSELF?" Cedeile yelled.

"Keep it down. And besides, it's your memories we're after." 427 retorted without a change in tone. Cedeile pouted at her and walked towards the platform, nearly tripping on the edge where it was uneven with the ground. Carefully, she reached her hands forward, moving closer to the lamp, her fingers about to brush the surface of the lamp. She stood there in front of it for a moment, wondering whether or not to try this after all. At last she closed her eyes in confidence and grabbed it firmly in her hands. The top bursted off it so suddenly, that Cedeile screamed out and dropped the lamp on the ground. Out of it roared a giant, red figure with yellow slits for eyes. The figure crossed his arms across his chest and came into view above them. Cedeile looked up in silent awe and wonder, her innocent green eyes taking it all in.

"WHO DARES TO DISTURB MY SLEEP?" The genie asked with it's booming voice. The voice was so incredible that the walls shook, causing sand to fall. Cedeile slightly smiled.

"Are you a genie?" she yelled up to him.

"AM I A GENIE? THAT'S WHAT YOU RUBBED THE LAMP FOR? YOU STUPID...IMBECILE! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Cedeile thought hard for a moment.

"'This'-a pronoun used to describe an object or situation-"she began unsruely.

"I DIDN'T MEAN LITERALLY!" The genine yelled back. 427 looked at Cedeile, exasperated.

"You idiot..." she said.

"What? I thought he was asking me a question!" Cedeile hissed back at 427. She turned her head to look back up at the genie. "Okay! I have a wish you need to grant me!" Cedeile yelled back up to him.

"AS I AM BOUNDED BY THE LAWS OF THE LAMP, I WILL FULFILL THIS WISH, THOUGH BY WHAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR I DOUBT IT WILL BE ANYTHING USEFUL."

"Oh good! Then...I wish for memories!" she yelled. 427's look was priceless.

"Don't you think you should slightly rephrase that?" she asked.

"What's the problem? It's got 'I,' 'wish,' and 'memories.' I don't see the problem." Cedeile called back. She turned to face the genie and flung her arms out, hands gripped into fists. "OKAY! Let me have them! I wish for memories!" she yelled.

"FINE! YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND-ON ONE CONDITION!" The genie delcared.

"What condition?" Cedeile asked.

"YOU MUST PASS MY TEST!" He declared.

"Test! No one told me about any damn test, and I'll be damned if I have to waste a damn second of my time and take it! Damnit!" Cedeile yelled.

"A test would be a problem." 427 murmered to herself.

"What kind of test are we talking about anyway?" Cedeile asked.

"YOU MUST FIND THE PHAROH'S CROWN, HIDDEN IN THE DEEPEST DEPTHS OF THIS CAVERN!" He said.

"Wha-?" Cedeile whined. "Well...where in the deepest depths is it?" The genie ignored her.

"YOU HAVE TILL THE SUN'S RAYS KISS THE CEILING!" he boomed, pointing to one of the walls. Cedile looked in the direction he was pointing. A beam of light streamed down and hit a little white mark close to the floor. A line of white marks were etched all the way to the ceiling.

"Oh, so when the sun hits that top mark, my time's up. Okay, that's not so hard." Cedeile said, confidence building. She turned back to the genie. "I accept! I'll get this 'Pharoh's crown' and bring it back here before time is up. Then you'll have to grant my wish!" She jumped off the platform and ran past 427. "I'll see you before the sun's rays kiss the ceiling!" she said as she past and left the room. 427 leaned against the wall.

"Maybe not..."

* * *

Cedeile ran all the way back to the beginning, in the first chamber she and 427 had walked through. She found what she was looking for-the holes in the floor-and crawled to the edge of one, sitting down, legs dangeling into the darkness.

"He said the deepest depths. Where better to start than going down?" she said to herself. She slid off the edge of the floor and flew downwards for a few moments until she hit water. The water was unexpected, and icy cold at that. She sunk down a few feet and then darted back up for air. The splashing of water echoed in the dark carvern-there was hardly any light to be had. She at last found the surface, caught her breath, and swam to the side where she found land to stand on. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm up.

"G-g-good g-g-god...it's freezing down here!" she complained. She stood up and rung out her t-shirt and vest before moving on. She found a staircase behind her and followed it into another dark room with more water, and across the lake was a statue, holding a ruby. Cedeile complained to herself about having to get back in the freezing water, but she had no choice if she wanted to get her memories back. So in she went (with A LOT of cursing) and began to swim over to the statue. The swim was going smoothly until something grabbed her foot and began to drag her down in to the water. Her head plunged under as she got dragged further under and found herself in complete darkness. She looked down and saw a tenticle had wrapped around her, and whatever it belonged to wanted her for lunch.

'It's heartblade time!' she thought as she whipped out her trusty weapon. She flung a streak of light down to the bottom of the lake and it hit something-a giant squid with a heartless symbol on it's body. The attack flooded the area with light, and Cedeile saw several skeletons and half rotting bodies littered all over the floor. She went to gasp but found her mouth filled with water instead. She darted up from the surface again to take a breath and greated the air with new found appriciatation.

"EWWW! Dead people! I'm swimming in water with DEAD PEOPLE!" she yelled, coughing up water. The heartless, however, was not finished with her. It came to the surface, its tenticles flailing around. She dove under the surface breifly to escape one, but another came and whacked her from under water, sending her flying into the air. Another one grabbed her as she flew and held her tight. Before she could do anything more, the heartless suddenly lept into the air, swallowed her whole, and dove back under the water again. Cedeile floated inside it's see-through head, banging on the walls to try and get out. She was losing air fast-the inside of the squid was filled with water too-and thrashed about to stay alive. The heartless wouldn't have it, though, and spit her out into the dark water with such force she rocketed to the bottom where she hit her head on the ground. She shook her head back and forth to recover and dodged just in time before it came down at her again. She pushed off the floor of the lake and sent a cross of light at it, shouting "HOLY PURIFICATION!"

Cedeile went back to the surface again and gasped for breath. That battle had been unexpected-and tough for her. She panted in the same spot for a few moments before moving onward. Behind her, the remains of the heartless floated to the surface.

* * *

Riku walked up the stairs as he had always done, but this time, he could tell someone was here. A figure was looming in the shadows.

"Well well. Look who it is..."the figure said in a famillar voice. The figure came towards him and Riku gasped-it was an exact reflection of him.

"Who are you?" Riku asked, shocked.

"It's not every day you meet your twin, is it? I'm a copy of you. But unlike the original, I'm much stronger...and not afraid of darkness." the replica replied.

"I'm not afraid of darkness!" Riku yelled.

"Oh yeah? Then why are you fighting so hard to destroy every last remenant of it? It's cause you're scared. You should be like me and embrace the darkness. I'm much stronger because of it."

"Yeah right. I don't need the darkness."

"Yet darkness is all that's in your heart, right? Not even your friends remain. In the end, you'll have to take out yourself." Riku thought for a moment.

"So what? I've got so many sins on my hands that it might be better to end my life after I get rid of all the darkness." he responded. The replica smirked at him.

"You're a fool! I'll show you that the copy is better than the original! And if I defeat you-I'll become you!" The replica took out his sword-Riku's sword-and began to charge at him. Riku took out his own blade and braced himself for the attack.

* * *

6H: THE END!

Anaretsu: Of the whole story?

6H: You wish.

Anaretsu: Oh damn.

6H: I hope the story is entertaining you enough. Sorry if things are a little slow so far. But things will pick up greatly after Cedeile gets to the third floor.

Anaretsu: Sure...


	10. Floor 10:Retrieval

6H: Hello everyone! Welcome to CHAPTER 10-our first milestone.

Anaretsu: Hu-rah...not really.

6H: After this moment, we may never use single digits to count our chapters EVER AGAIN.

Anaretsu: Can we just get this over with.

6H: Okay.

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 10-Retrieval

----

The two identical swords clashed, making a horrible noise. The two boys were forced back from each other, stumbling from the blow. The replica smirked at Riku.

"Not bad." he remarked.

"I could say the same. So my little match with Vixen was just for your creation, huh?" Riku spat at him. "I didn't even use my best moves in that fight." The two went at it again, bashing and striking at each other, but neither making any hits.

"Yeah, something like that."

"But your movement isn't so great-you've been favoring your left leg the entire time. Did you get injured?"

"That's none of your concern." the replica spat. "Just watch out for yourself!" Suddenly, Riku saw crimson flying into the air in front of him, and felt himself staggering backwards. He wasn't sure how it happened, but suddenly there was a huge gash runing up and down the right side of his chest. He touched the wound, wincing and looked at the blood on his hands. Not blood red, but a much darker scarlet. His body was not quite free of Ansem's grasp. He glared at the replica and got back up, dodging the next attack. He struck the Riku replica on the top of his shoulder, missing the neck because the replica suddenly moved. Pure red blood was spilling out of that wound. Riku glared harder.

'When I was taken by Ansem, I didn't have the luxary of red blood...my blood turned...'

_Suddenly, Sora came up behind him and wailed on his back, slashing several times and ripping through the material, and then the pale skin underneath, causing black looking blood to slowly ooze out..._

'...black...' Riku went at him again, but his other self expected it and blocked. The replica forced him back and cut his left cheek. Riku licked off the blood and made a deep slice into the other's ribs. It was a brutal battle. Riku hit the replica one last time with the blunt end of his sword, knocking the wind out of the fake and propelling him to the ground. Riku collapsed to his own knees and began trying to catch his breath. The replica got up, and Riku braced himself for more fighting, but it never came.

"Well...you aren't SO bad, but if you used the power of darkness like me, you'd be invincible." Riku smirked.

"Oh? You mean like this?" the room became dark and Riku's clothes changed to the same ones the replica wore. Riku stood up, wobbiling slightly, and gave the replica the finger.

"I see. But it damages your soul, doesn't it? Your soul seems to have taken to protecting your heart, and has fought off the darkness, but letting it in infects your soul from the inside." the replica stated. Riku fell forward and changed back to his normal self. The other one was right-it did have bad effects on his soul. He only hoped that the stronger he got, the less it would hurt. The replica began to walk away from him. "Anyway, we'll fight again, and when we do, I'll win." And he was gone. Riku tried to stand again, but shook so badly he fell forward and onto the ground, where he lay very still, so still, that the half angel-demon, who was watching from above-thought he was dead.

"One less I have to get rid of." it whispered, and waited. Riku knew it had been there the whole time-he wasn't sure what it was, and wasn't too keen on finding out, espically in this condition.

'Come on...go away...I'm dead, you can't do any worse to me...' he though franticly.

----

Cedeile climbed up onto shore across the lake after her battle with the heartless. The statue she had saw before now loomed above her-a grand looking primate holding a huge ruby, and wearing a wide, menacing smile. She stood there for a moment, not quite sure what to do.

"Okay...now what? Ah..." she thought out loud. "Okay, a pharoh's crown looks like... those things with the silk and the gold and the snake, so I just have to find something like that...unless it a figurative pharoh's crown. So what else is like a pharoh's crown? Hmm...it has to be..." she looked at the ruby, her reflection repeated millions of times on it's cut surface. She approached it and looked directly into it, holding onto the statue's hands to keep her balance. "Maybe it's something prescious to a pharoh, since a crown is important. But what's precious to a pharoh? Even if I had my memories, I have a feeling I still wouldn't know." She stared unblinkingly at her thousand reflections, each looking back at her with the same look. At last she sighed and folded her arms on top of the hands, resting her head to one side.

"Forget it. I may never find the pharoh's crown..." she said sadly, and with her fingertip poked the ruby so that it tilted back. Suddenly, there was a clicking sound and then the sound of something big moving. She looked all around and then she saw it-the wall behind the statue was moving away to reveal another large chamber, simillar to this one she was in now. When the wall had been fully moved away, the sound stopped and all was silent. Cedeile cautiously slipped past the statue (it was narrow, so Cedeile had some trouble) and into the new room.

This new room was just as dark, and the rumbling of water told her there was a waterfall nearby. Alarge puddle was before her, coming out of a small tunnel, and the puddle spilled over the side, causing the roaring. Cedeile looked down the waterfall to see more of the statues with rubies-the only light in the darkness. They were spread out all through the room-at least three of them as far as she could tell.

"Nice..." she murmered, extremely pleased with herself. She took a deep breath, ran, and lept off the edge of the waterfall. After falling for a few seconds, she hit the dark water below, but the tempeture wasn't such a shock to her this time. When she came up for air, she saw some dry ground and crawled up onto it. She assumed it had been part of the floor once, for it jetted out from the wall and was smooth like tile. She decided to rest before she went any farther, and started thinking again about what she had to find.

'A pharoh's crown...what does it look like? And how will I find it, first off! He said the deepest depths, but he didn't say the very deepest depth, so it might be in the second deepest depth, or even the third. But it's supposed to be in the deepest depths, so if it was in the second deepest depth, that means it wouldn't be the deepest dep-aww damnit, I'm confusing myself!' she konked herself on the head with one of her fists in frustration. She sighed and looked at the water. "At this rate I'll never get my memories back..." she said sadly. "Even my own reflection doesn't bring back memories." She heard something behind her, farther off in the chamber. She snapped out of her reverie and stood up to look around the cave better. She heard it again-a rustling of movement, and a slight hiss. She was looking all around the cavern, but couldn't find the source. After a third time it never sounded again. Cedeile let herself relax slightly at the absence of it.

She looked around the cavern and saw a chamber beyond the one she was currently in. It was just over a small waterfall, and there didn't seem to be any connecting rooms. Cedeile decided to check it out, so she dove back into the water and headed towards it. She went over the smaller waterfall and swam over to land. When she got up, she noticed her bandana was hanging a little crooked off her head. She tried untying it, but the knot was odd-lumpy, unsure, hesitant, and inexperianced. She hadn't tied the knot. Who did?

'It's weird. I know I didn't tie the knot...how though? And if not me, than who?' she thought. Then she heard the noise again-a low hissing echoed off the walls.

"Looking for losssst memoriessss?" the hissing voice asked. A figure moved in the shadows. It seemed to be a man, but as it came forward into the light of a nearby glowing ruby, she saw that was only the top half of the creature. The rest rest of it was a long, scaly tail the color of sand. The man-part of this monster was pale and bare, with a triangular mouth and fangs dangerously being licked by a forked tounge. It came closer to her, limp dark hair swinging as it moved. "Memoriessss are not that important...are they?" it asked. It leaned down at her and she turned away to avoid it, but his cold tounge stroked her cheek, making her wince. "They are more of a burden, don't you think?" One of his irregular hands went to touch her, but she took a step back from him.

"I want to find my memories..."she murmered softly, trying to back away. Her foot hit something thick and she turned to look-his long tail had wrapped back behind her. She turned back to him. "Who are you?"

"I am Upheria, a snake demon who guards the pharoh's crown from those who seek it." He apporached her again and swung behind her, grabbing onto her shoulders and hiss into her ear. "I can sssee into the heartsss of my victimsssss-know their every dessssire. Even yourssss. You dessssire to learn more about your passst-sssince your memoriessss were taken. But I...can give you ssssomething better..." He slightly parted his mouth and brushed his fangs against her neck, making her shiver. "Eternity with the dormant dessssires in your heart...I sssee thossse missssssing memoriessss, and I can give them to you...for jussst one bite of you." His tounge brushed her skin again. "A tassste of that precious blood. That'sss all..." He was about to bite, but she whirled around, whipped out the heartblade, and slashed it across his face. The light forced him back and she jumped away, sliding to a stop.

"I don't think so! I'm going to get my memories back, demon! I don't need your phony side show!" she yelled. Upheria looked at the weapon in her hand, shocked.

"The heartblade masssster? Here? Impossssible!" he said, blood dripping from the cut across his face.

"Better believe it, bastard! I'm going to wipe the floor with you!" she yelled back at him. She launched herself towards him and he came forward.

"You'll regret crossssing me!" he screeched as he brought his hand around. He smacked her out of the sky and she went flying into the ground, sending rock and dust everywhere. She stood up slowly, and he came at her again, fangs beared-twice as large as she had seen them before. Before she could move, he had sunk them into her right arm, leaving huge puncture marks as he sipped her blood. He pulled away, sending her sprawling on the ground. He licked the excess blood off his fangs and looked down at her.

"You..."

"Your blood is rather tassssty." he said, smirking at her. "I can sssee why you didn't want to give it up..."

"Bastard!" she swung the heartblade at him, trying to force him back. He hardly budged, so she threw another attack at him, and another. She fet herself stagger as she got up, and she nearly fell over again. 'Damn! He must've poisoned me!' she thought franticly. She drew a cross of light in front of her. "HOLY PURIFICATION!" It cut through the floor and burned a cross mark into his flesh. He went at her and bit her again, this time in the right shoulder. She cried out as he forced her onto the floor.

"Yessss...let my poissson ssseep into your blood. I'll remember your wonderful tassste..." Upheria whispered. Cedeile didn't want to die yet. She wouldn't yet. Not until her memories came back. And it was that thought that made her jam the heartblade right through his body, piercing right through his scales. Black blood got all over her as he riled up and screamed out. She tired to scamper away, but he pluged his hands down at her. "Fool!" he yelled as he constricted his hands around her throat. She tried to pull on them with her free hand, while the other held onto the heartblade. She began to swing it rapidly around, causing her spotnatious attacks to hit the ceiling and walls, making the rock crumble away. At last, she kicked out one of her legs, sending him flying a couple of inches, but enough for her to escape his grasp.

'I'm so screwed!' she though as she tried to move away. 'I can hardly see anymore. Damn poison!' He got up again and opened his mouth wide.

"You'll regret that!" he shouted. He shot a golden beam from his mouth and it hit her dead on, slamming her against a wall. It felt like billions of grains of sand were flying over her, cutting into her skin like little knives. Blood spurted everywhere around her. "How do you like that, heartblade massster? It's my beam of ssandss!" She stayed slumped against the wall.

'It's all over...'

_"Cedeile!" a male voice yelled to her. _

Navy blue eyes, the color of the midnight sky...a deep, dark color...

Upheria charged at her, fangs extended out from his gums, ready for a final move. Cedeile lay motionless.

_"Cedeile!"_

Dark navy...a refreshing memory...

----

A horrible clang.

The sound of bones snapping...

And it was over...

----

Upheria fell to the ground ,senseless. His fangs sunk out of her side, causing her to gasp out in pain. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath. It seemed she had a few broken ribs, not to mention her white shirt had been turned red, and her legs were soaked in blood-her blood. The poison was still in her-she knew that. But she'd won. All that was left was to find the pharoh's crown...

Before she could think of where to look for it, a gentle cry came from the darkness. Cedeile's head snapped over to the sound, but she found it was nothing to be afraid of. In fact, she smiled...

----

427 looked at the wall with the white marks. The sun had only three marks before it reached the ceiling, but Cedeile was no where in sight. She knew this had been a stupid idea. What had she been thinking about coming here? The genie also seemed to think that Cedeile wasn't going to make it.

"It's really over, isn't it?" 427 said softly to herself.

"INDEED. SHE WON'T MAKE IT!" the genie's voice boomed.

"Allow me to disappoint you, then!" a voice replied. The two looked over to the doorway. There stood Cedeile, covered in blood, with a little black kitten curled in her arms, mewing happily. "The ceiling will have to wait for it's kiss, because I made it in time!" she walked forward, limping slightly, and swaying dangerously.

"Cedeile, what the hell happened to you?" 427 asked.

"Take my adivce, 427-never mess with an angry snake." Cedeile said as she walked up to the genie.

"YOU FOUND THE PHAROH'S CROWN?" he asked. Cedeile nodded.

"I did! I found out that the 'crown' was not really a crown at all! Pharohs had something much more important than a crown-they worshipped CATS!" she declared. "This is the cat I found down in the caverns. This is the pharoh's crown." She set the cat down and it hopped up onto the pillar that the lamp lay on.

"VERY GOOD! YOU HAVE PASSED MY TEST. NOW YOU MAY HAVE YOUR WISH!" he said.

"You know what I want-I wish for memories!" she called.

"VERY WELL! IT SHALL BE YOURS!" He pointed one of his large, red fingers at her and out of it came a blast of purple, blue, and gold smoke that hit her dead on. She went soaring off the platform and landed two feet away. She sat up and shook her head.

"Cedeile!" 427 yelled. She ran beside her. "Well, do you remember?" she asked. Cedeile thought for a second.

"Sure I do!" she exclaimed.

"Well, what do you remember?"

"I remember the snow storm of 72, the curse on the Boston Red Sox, and...the last time the New York Rangers won a Stanely Cup." she said, thinking hard. "Hey!" she stood up, even though it hurt like hell, and pointed an acusing finger at the genie. "These aren't MY memories!"

"YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR MEMORIES! YOU JUST ASKED FOR THEM, SO I GAVE YOU SOME OF MY FAVORITES." he declared. Suddenly, he began to disappear back into his lamp, despite Cedeile's aghast look.

"I told you to be careful in how you pharsed your wish." 427 said, giving her a potion to cure her wounds.

"Just shut up." Cedeile said while chugging it down.

----

6H: Ha ha! How'd you like that? Two gory battles in a chapter, and some humor. By the way, DOWN WITH THE RANGERS!

Anaretsu: Such a shame that the hockey players went on strike.

6H: Indeed. I prefer New Jersey and Toronto. Minnasota too.

Anaretsu: Why are we being civil to each other?

6H: Cause it's nearly ten at night?

Anaetsu: 9:44.

6H: Who cares? Review! And I'll give YOU the pharoh's crown!

Cat: Meow!

6H: Aww, it's so precious!


	11. Floor 11:Anya

6H:It's time for another fabulous chapter of this tale.

Anaretsu: Sure.

6H: Plot twist in this chapter! Remember the old lady and the girl that I spontaneously introduced in chapter 47 of Shattered Fragments? Well, finally, they play a part in this chapter. Hurray!

Anaretsu:...no.

6H: To the chapter! AWAY!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 11-Anya

----

The sky was not blue anymore. She had gone out to pump some fresh water to make lunch when she first noticed. Clouds hurriedly ran across the sky, as if fleeing from something. She dropped her empty tin bucket and watched as they flew past her. A foreboding wind blew some lose strands of flaxen hair out of her ribbon. She brushed them back out of her chesnut eyes, but the wind didn't like to be defeat easily. It picked up more, and thunder actually rumbled from above, and lighting flashed. That's when she knew something wasn't right. It only ever stormed at the evil castle. The weather never came out this far.

She ran back inside after an even louder rumble, franticly shuting the door and throwing the still empty bucket on the ground. The disturbance from the kitchen caused the old lady to look up from her book and try and peak around the corner.

"What is it, child? Why the ruckus?" she asked in her wise voice. The flaxen haired girl darted up straight from trying to get her shoes undone. She slowly walked into the old living room. This tiny cabin was only five rooms-kitchen, living room, bathroom, and a bedroom where the old lady slept. The girl slept upstairs in the loft that overlooked the kitchen. Another rumble came through the open window, wafting into the new space.

"Grandmother-a storm is coming out here." the girl said. The grandmother closed her book.

The cover read "Book of Fragments."

"Something must be happening at the castle." The old lady said. "It's finally started."

"What has?" the girl asked. The lady got up from her chair and took her cane off the arm rest where it had been hanging. Walking over to a shelf by the window, she took down from the top most one a small, black box, on top of which was ingraved a silver heart. Inside were two things-a blank card from the castle, and a necklace with a small, elegant cross hanging off it. The cross was a dark silver with small red stones inlayed in it. In the center of the cross was a larger red stone. A faint glow began to appear around the cross.

"The heartblade master has come, Anya." the grandmother said. Anya, the girl with the flaxen hair, gasped.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." she replied, making her way back the rocking chair. She sat down heavily with the box resting gingerly in her lap. "I have told you the story since you were young, and your father as well. Listen, child-our family has been guarding this treasure for generations-maybe five hundred years-who knows? Our line has a sacred mission-to deliver this to the heartblade master, when the time comes for her to receive it. However, by the time it was passed to me, the family had given up all hope of our duty ever needing to be fulfilled. That has changed now." Anya smoothed out the wrinkles in her brown skirt that fell to her ankles. Her shirt was a red ratan with three quater sleeves that just covered her elbows.

"But how will we get it to her, grandmother?" Anya asked. "You can't make it to the castle, and my father has been long since dead." Her grandmother looked at her with complete seriousness as she leaned forward and placed the necklace around her neck.

"You must go. Bring it to her-she must get it at all costs. This mission has been passed to you." she said.

"But I can't fight!" Anya cried.

"Who said you had to? Surely the path will be cleared for you, and this charm will protect you. You must go, Anya. It is the only way." Anya nodded.

"I'll try my best."

"Leave now! There isn't much time!" Her garndmother pleaded. Anya ran for the kitchen door. Before she left, she yelled back to her granmother.

"I'll do my best, so don't worry, okay?" And she flung the door open and slammed it behind her. Her grandmother smiled and looked at the card that remained in the box.

"I won't. But if you run into your brother...remind him of what he forgot."

----

Cedeile and 427 climbed the stairs out of Agrabah and into the next hall, which was thankfully empty, and then went to climb the stairs leading to the next floor up.

"So it looks like we can't take any shortcuts on getting my memory back." Cedeile said, dissapointed.

"Do you remember anything else?" 427 asked her.

"Yeah! While I was battling with that snake demon I told you about, I heard a voice yelling out my name. I think that voice was one of my memories. And eyes...I remember eyes..."

"Eyes?"

"Yeah. Just their eyes." Cedeile sighed. "I wish I had more to go on, though." The two reached the top of the next stairs and found another empty hall with another door leading to another world from Sora's memories. The two girls went forward to pass through them, but a figure appeared on top of the stairs.

"It seems you've made it this far." the hooded man replied.

"Who are you?" Cedeile asked.

"I..."the man said, throwing back his hood," ...am Axel." He had spikey red hair and dark eyes. He looked at the two girls. "You shouldn't have a hard time remembering that with your head nearly empty."

"Hey!"

"But are the memories you're remembering the right ones?" Axel asked. Cedeile froze.

"What?"

"Don't listen to him, Cedeile! He's trying to use you for his own needs." 427 warned.

"How would you know what she needs to remember? You didn't travel with her that first time, did you?" he taunted.

"I know because..." she didn't go on. It seemed like she couldn't.

"You can't say. Because you're protecting someone-someone like me." Axel glared as 427 dropped her head to look at the floor, and her pale hair fell forward.

"427? What does he mean?" Cedeile asked.

"She can't tell you. Didn't she say she had to tell you something? But she can't, because you don't remember a thing. She can't even say who she's helping." Axel replied.

"I know who she's helping!" Cedeile declared. Both looked at her in shock. "She's helping the trinity soliders!" Cedeile declared. Axel looked at her exaperated, and 427 put a hand over her face in annoyance.

"That's not what I meant." Axel murmured.

"What? She is a Trinity Solider, though!" Cedeile said, confused.

"Yes, but she's going outside of her duties as a Trinity Solider to protect someone. Someone who no longer exists...because his heart was taken. And now he thinks he can alter your destiny by telling you what you need to know. Foolish bastard." Axel cackled.

"Don't you dare talk about HIM like THAT! He want's to help, because he put the burden on her!" 427 yelled.

"You better watch your step, Agent 427, or else you're gonna slip into hell. You're getting too close to him."

"I'll watch my own step, thank you. And I don't care about what happens to me. As long as he is safe...as long as Cedeile knows what she has to...that's enough for me." 427 replied strongly, but her face looked like she was about to break.

"You would get close to a non-existant, go as far as to make contract with him, vow to help him at all costs, at the risk of losing yourself?" Axel asked. 427 nodded. Axel smirked. "How foolish you are. It is great amusement." 427 drew out her sword, losing her patience. Axel shook his head disaprovingly. "As much as a battle with you would be enjoyable...I came for the heartblade master." He took out his weapons-the fire wheels from before- and threw them both at her. She braced herself to block both attacks, but missed the one. It knocked her to the ground, and Axel called back the wheels.

"Agent 427!" Cedeile yelled.

"Forget her. How do you know she's been trying to help you the whole time?"Axel asked as Cedeile was going to go to 427 and help her. The girl skidded to a halt and looked back at Axel.

"But...she said she-"

"She's trying to decieve you, so that your enemies can take you down." Axel said vicously.

"What a load of crap!" 427 yelled at him.

"Cedeile, she's actually preventing you from remembering the right things. She's slowly implanting false memories in your head. So that you'll think that you went on some journey before you came here. The truth is, Cedeile-you work for us!"

"No..."Cedeile whispered in disbelief. "But-"

"It's true Cedeile. 427 made us out to be evil, but we aren't, really." Axel said, coming down the stairs and walking to her back. "You were using your powers to help us defeat the Trinity Soliders, and Sora. Sora is coming to destroy us, and you, so that he can be the single savior of the universe. In reality, it is the organization who will save mankind."

"Shut up, Axel! Stop abusing her just because she's lost her memories!" 427 yelled from the floor. Axel flung his fire wheels at her, both of which hit her dead on and sent her flying. She hit the wall and fell to the floor, a small puddle of blood forming below her. Cedeile watched, helpless and confused. Axel came up behind her.

"So, what do you say? Will you come with me to regan your former status." Cedeile clenched her teeth.

"Bastard! I was never one of you! I don't believe a word you say!" She turned to use the heartblade on him, but he dodged effortlessly and landed several feet away.

"If it's a fight you want, then I'll give it to you." And he came at her with both wheels. She blocked him with the heartblade but he forced it away. He tried to come at her again, but she was able to bring the hearblade back down just in time. He shook it off and went at her again, but again the two metals of the two weapons met and threw each other back. Cedeile made the next move-she twirled around and went to kick him in the head, but he leaned away and threw one of the wheels at her, she blocked it and it flew away, landing on the floor. Axel threw the other one, and she blocked it as well. She swung the heartblade at him with all her strength, but called his weapons back to his hands with magic and threw them both at her. That's where she was caught. The two wheels tore through her and sent her to the ground breifly. They flew back into his hands, and she went back at him.

"HOLY PURIFICATION!" She yelled. Axel crossed his arms in front of his face, as if to block the attack, but suddenly, his fire wheels appeared again and he slashed them out, bringing his arms straight out to the sides. The cross of light and disappated into millions of tiny sparkles that fell to the floor and disappeared completly. Cedeile stared in shock.

"Surprised?" Axel asked.

"How did you-?"

"It was easy. You aren't nearly strong enough to defeat me." he replied. Cedeile speechless. He suddenly was up in her face, as if he had telelported himself there. He slashed both wheels across her, their blades ripping through her skin. She fell backward and hit the groud, blood splattering on the white floor. She looked up at him distastfully. He smirked evilly. "Ah. So you're just a little girl after all. Can't do a thing without your sinning nanny over there to lead you through someone else's memories so you can get your own back. Isn't that sad?" She gritted her teeth to surpress a growl and some insults she would've like to thrown at him. This gave him more satisfaction. "Ah. Well, while you lay there acting like a lap dog, the question remains-" he held one of the fire wheel blades under her chin, in a dangerous postion to slice her throat-" should I kill you now and get it over with, or wait till later. If you were Sora, I would think twice. But then again, I like Sora more than you, so I don't think you desvere the consideration." And then it happened. Cedeile snapped and threw the heartblade at him-actually threw it- without calling an attack or sending out the purifying light. The metal rod hit him square in the face, between his eyes and sent him staggering backwards, while Cedeile jumped up and grabbed her weapon before it fell. While Axel was still recovering, Cedeile sent out three weak slashes of light to cut through him. They did little damage, save for slitting his jacket a bit, but that was all. He looked over to her, a huge spot of blood on his face, like a spider, legs beginning to trickle down the curves made by bones and flesh. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, but more blood came anyway.

"Do I deserve the consideration now?" Cedeile taunted.

"Okay, okay...I can play your game too. But think-do you really want to remember? Why not cast away the old, useless memories and begin anew? With good memories come bad ones too." He disappeared and reappeared behind her, on the steps leading out of the room to the next floor. She turned, ready to fight, but he smirked and pulled his hood back over his head, grinning at her. "So, Cedeile...are you ready to learn the price of memory?" And then he was gone.

----

Anya walked down the sandy path, the overcast sky becoming darker the further she went.

'It's that castle. Something's happening there. A gathering of power...' she thought as she alone walked the path, her shoes making a cruching sound as they treaded over the dirt. Suddenly, lighting flickered above her, and thunder crashed. She watched as the clouds began to blow across the sky faster in the direction from which she came. 'At this rate, the whole sky will be covered. I have to hurry. The heartblade master...' she clutched the necklace that hung around her neck. 'She'll need this...' She continued on her way, running this time, and trying to make her way towards her destination.

----

As Ryu continued on his way, he felt himself get dizzier, and lightheaded as his stepps were more unsure. It had to have been from the bloodloss, and he had no way to stop it, of course. The snow behind him turned red as he went on further, the silent woods the only witness. Soon he could go no further and collapsed in the snow, on his knees.

'Damn it...I can't see a thing anymore...' He fell forward to the ground and panted heavily to try and gain his breath again. Even now he could still feel the blood flow out of him, hopefully not enough to kill him. But if he didn't stop it soon, he might be out of luck. 'If only Aru were here, then she could easily heal me.' Suddenly, he heard the snow crunching in front of him. He was too tired to look up, but made the attempt anyway. However, he didn't have to look up, for a famillar voice sounded in his ears.

"Ryu, get up." a voice comanded. He knew this voice-comanding, regal, older...alightly sad. He struggled to at least kneel in the snow and pushed himself up.

"Hikari...Tagami?" he asked, unsure. He was able to rest himself back on his feet and looked up. It was indeed the master blacksmith mage of 500 years ago, standing in front of him. "What are you doing here? Are you and Aru okay?" he asked. Her mint green eyes were unchanging. She snapped her fingers and suddenly he felt the famillar healing spell flow over him. No, it was different-a little colder and brisker than Aru's magic. He felt much better without the hole in his side and stood up fully now, brushing snow off of him. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter how you got here. We're together now, so let's get out of here." he said.

"I don't think so." Hikari replied, eyes narrowing.

"What do you mean?" Ryu asked, confused. "We've got to get out of this place. We're looking for Silvia, remember?" He looked down at his black gloved hands. "With these hands, I gathered them, just like Ansem wanted me to. The whole time, he knew my family and I would bring the fragments right to him. I'll find them-the fragments as they are as Silvia-and repent for my sins." he said, determined.

"You won't get the chance." Hikari said. Ryu looked up at her, and a cold wind blew through the trees, blowing his hair all around. He was stunned.

"Hikari? Is something wrong?"

"I'm going to kill you." she said, and swirls of water appeared in her hands, suspended upright by magic.

"Hikari?" Ryu asked, stepping away. Hikari flung one of her hands around and threw a long cyclone of water at him, it's full force knocking him back to the ground. She threw the other one at the ground, spraying up snow to cover him. He couldn't see a thing, and before he knew it, He was entangled in a web of vines that were constricting around him. "H-hikari! Have you gone mad?" he asked, trying to resist against the vines.

"Hardly. I'll kill you, just like I killed Aru." She summoned electricity to her hands, their currents running up her arms. She bowed her head down. "Goodbye...Ryosuke Takita of the Ryu Clan." A lighting blot came down and struck him through the chest. He screamed out and felt himself falling. He should've hit the ground, but he kept going, falling into the darkness.

----

6H: Dude, I killed Ryu!

Anaretsu: Really?

6H: Not really...I just wanted to see how the readers would react.

Anaretsu: They don't.

6H: Shut up! Please give me reviews, so I know I'm not wasting my life for nothing!

Anaretsu: You are though.

6H: Can't you be nice, just once!

Anaretsu: I have been nice several times. I just don't feel like giving any love today.

6H: Damn.


	12. Floor 12:Desert of Flowers

6H: Well, after the cliffhanger I left you with in chapter 11, I'm surprised at all you. The low amount of response has got me worried.

Anaretsu: It always does.

6H: Phfth. Whatever. I guess I'll give you chapter 12, you ungrateful creatins.

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 12-The Desert of Flowers

----

'Hikari...' Aru called the entitiy in the back of her head.

'What is it?' Hikari asked. Aru stopped walking and looked around herself.

'I was just wondering...about this black chain around my neck...'Aru answered hesitantly.

'What about it? It's made of metal, it's a nice piece of jewerly...what more do you need to know about it?' Hikari asked. Aru sighed.

'How did I get this? Who gave it to me? I don't know...maybe I got it before I woke up in Traverse Town. I still haven't gained those memories back. But I don't remember having it before a certain point in time.' Aru explained. Hikari seemed to be thinking.

'I can't think of who might've given it to you. Was there anyone who you were close to?'

'I'm close to Cedeile and Ryu! They're my friends.' Aru told her.

'I mean someone else.' Hikari interjected. 'Someone very important to you?'

'No one I can think of. What about you?' Aru asked.

'I don't remember anyone who could've given it to you.' Hikari replied. 'I don't actually remember how you got it.' Aru clutched the charm on the chain in her one hand tightly, as if to protect it from something. She pulled it off her neck and held it in front of her. The moonlight gleamed off the black metal, making it illuminated, even in the darkness.

'Who could've given this to me?' she thought. She felt Hikari's frustration with the question too. Suddenly, she heard footsteps in the sand near her. She pu the chain back around her neck and prepared for a fight. 'Is it Mint again?'

'I don't feel her aura anywhere.'

'She could be masking it.' Aru replied, head darting to look in all directions. Suddenly, it stopped, but Aru didn't let her guard down.

"Hi Aru." a cheerful voice said behind her. Aru jumped around and nearly used a fire spell on the person behind her.

"Mint, I-...Kai!" Indeed, the boy from Nightville was standing behind her, smiling as if it was natural from him to appear in the desert.

"Hi there." he replied.

'A friend of yours?' Hikari asked, but Aru didn't anwser. She was too stunned. She might've forgotton a few things, but she definatly remembered the end of their last encounter with Kai...it was too embarassing to think about right now.

"Hi...what are you doing out here?" Aru asked outright.

"Just passing through." Kai replied, as if this was all normal.

"Passing through? Then do you know the way out of this desert?" Aru asked, hopeful.

"Yeah. If you come with me, then I'll show you the way out." He said. Aru nodded and, reluctantly followed. She wasn't sure why she was hesitant to follow him. It wasn't just that she was nervous around him because of the goodbye he'd given her so long ago on the lawns outside of Moonlight Castle, but that she felt on edge that this was a trick of some kind. That at any moment, he'd become Mint and a fight would break out. Aru was determined to beat her, without Hikari Tagami's help. She didn't plan to tell the other one inside of her, she would just deny Hikari's pleas to offer a hand. But she could kind of understand-Hikari felt guilty for all that was happening now. She wanted to right her own faults without getting others invovled.

'But that's why I'm fighting-to change all of this. We'll find Silvia, Hikari Tagami, don't worry-and we'll seal her away again just like you said we needed to do.' Aru thought to herself. The two walked around silently, Aru slightly behind Kai. They went a far way until something began to loom out of the distance-something huge, and black, and it sat in front of the moon...

"Moonlight Castle!" Aru exclaimed, finding the sinister lair materilze in front of her.

"Yeah. I'm going here to fight Lady Chain." Kai said.

"But we already defeated Lady Chain, Kai. And besides, Moonlight Castle isn't in the desert. It's back in Nightville!" Aru protested.

"Nightville? Aru, what are you talking about?" Kai asked, confused.

"You live there, Kai! It's your world, remember? And Cedeile, Ryu and I came and helped you fight Lady Chain and the heartless, and then we received the fragment from your heart when Cedeile purified you!" Aru explained. Kai laughed.

"Aru, you have to have been dreaming. Nightville? Sounds like something out of a kid's book." He said cheerfully. "Anyway, I don't know about these 'Ryu' and 'Cedeile' people you keep talking about, but we may need some help-any help- so we can defeat Lady Chain." He pressed onward, determined. Aru sighed and followed behind him, very confused.

'I didn't dream the whole thing...did I? No. We did go to Nightville. We met Kai there. We bled there. It was our first real battle together. This is the part that's the dream.' Aru and Kai approached Moonlight Castle and stopped at the gates. It was the same as Aru remembered it-a huge fortress that sat in front of the moon-which hung heavily from the sky, like a teardrop. The face of the building was in complete shadow as it always had been. It hadn't changed, save for the lawns. They didn't exist-just an ocean of sand kept the castle off in the distance. Aru heaved a deep, nervous sigh as she and Kai went over the fence. He could easily fly over it with his bat wings, but Aru was reduced to scrambling up it like an idiot before she made it over to the other side. Kai landed on the ground beside her and smiled gently.

"Aru...you've gotta know that I like you...alot..." he turned his face to the side, but Aru could still see the faint blush.

'Oh god...please let this be my twisted imagination...'she thought desperately.

'Aru? Do you and this guy have some sort of past?' Hikari asked, but Aru ignored her.

"...But I notice you've got a new chain around your neck. Different from the one I gave you."

"You never gave me-" Aru began, but Kai stopped her.

"I have to say all this now, Aru. It seems that there's someone else on your mind, instead of me. Whoever he is, I envy him."

----

"If anyone is having an eaiser time than me getting through this castle, I envy them!" Riku complained as he did a backflip to avoid some of these new heartless he was fighting in Atlantica. He had just arrived on this new floor only to be ambushed by the heartless. And so far he wasn't having an easy time with them. They had better mobility than him in the water, and avoided his attacks with ease. One struck him across the shoulder, a gash spilling blood down his arm. Another one cut him across the face as he sliced one in half.

"I will kill every one of you, and your masters! I'll make up for my sins, no matter what! Even if I must kill myself in the end, I will do it! If only for a shred of redemption!"

----

"Kai..."Aru said softly.

"No. Don't try and apologize. I understand. You can't stop yourself from what you feel right?" he responded. "We have the rest of our lives to find someone. We just don't stay with the same person forever. Relationships can be fragile like that."

"I know." Aru said. "But, Kai...do you know who gave me this chain? I'm having trouble remembering." she asked.

"Sure Aru, it was Ri-" Suddenly, a chain struck through him and he gasped out from shock. Blood stained the golden sand and shone in the moonlight as he fell forward. Aru caught him and layed him on her lap.

"Kai! Kai, are you alright?" She shook him gently as she lifted him up to rest on her arm. He didn't respond, his eyes closed in pain and his breathing heavy. "Kai! No!"

"Well, little one, you've learned the price of love." A voice said. The chain retreated rapidly back to the owner of the voice, a figure atop the castle. The figure stood and lept off the castle, seeming to come right towards them, and the castle faded from view. Aru watched as the figure came forward, and it appeared to be Lady Chain herself, butshe turned into Mint. She landed a few yards away and began to walk towards Aru and Kai. As Mint came closer, Aru held Kai closer to her to protect him.

"Stay back!" Aru yelled. Mint stopped two feet away from them.

"Don't you get it yet?" Mint asked. Suddenly, Kai disappeared in a shower of sparkles. The blood that had stained her sleeve was also gone. "When you meet him for real, will you break his heart?" Aru glared up at Mint.

"What is your problem with me? Why are you coming after me?"

"When I was very young, I began training as a mage. My teacher was a descendent of a clan that knew the story of 500 years ago, when the keyblade was created. He also knew about Hikari Tagami. And I envyed her, that she was blessed with such great power. I wanted to be the most powerful mage. And if I defeat you, then it will be so!" She struck with a blast of vines that entwined together and aimed for Aru. She dodged just in time and landed in the sand. She was getting ready to attack again, but out of the sand began to slowly rise green shoots. Mint didn't do anything; she just stood there watching. Aru watched too, as slowly, the green shoots grew buds that bloomed into many coloered flowers. All reminants of Moonlight Castle had vanished. Aru watched as the entire desert became one huge field of flowers, strecthing as far as she could see.

'Hikari...do you see this?' Aru asked.

"Do you know, Hikari Tagami, why I decided to guard this seemingly god-forsaken land? Because of what hides beneath the surface. In truth, the desert has it's own treasures. I hope you've learned that." Aru stood still, just looking right at Mint. After a long silence she spoke.

"I'm not Hikari Tagami. I am my own self." she said slowly.

"Are you really? Do you really believe you are anything other than a shell for a lost soul?"

"I have my own soul and heart. I don't believe a word you say."

"Very well. Then you'll have to learn the hard way." Out of the flowers began to float clouds of pollen, and soon the air was thick with it. Aru began to stagger as it infected her, feeling lightheaded and dizzy and several emotions at the same time.

'Aru! Please stay awake!' Hikari begged. But it was too late-Aru fell into the flowers, out cold. Mint approached her and called out a magical vine whip.

"I can finish you now, you sinful girl. Hikari Tagami-you don't deserve to live another life. This girl does not deserved to be used by you." She brought the whip up above her head and was about to crack it down on her when Aru's eyes snapped open, but they were a bright green...

It happened quickly, but slow at the same time. The whip struck down, and flower petals flew up into the air. As they fell, Mint saw the spot inhabited by Aru a second prior was now empty, save for severed petals. A few feet away, crouched down in the flowers, was Hikari Tagami, glaring at her fiecrely.

"Come on. Your little trick doesn't get me for a mintue." Hikari replied.

"You. You are a sinner who deserves hell. I know what you did to make the keyblade. You killed a young girl!" Mint charged forward with the whip in hand. Hikari called fire to her hands and blocked the whip.

"I didn't kill her! She willingly sacrificed herself, and I will forever honor Siliva for that! I didn't want her to do it, but she knew she was the only who could. I thought sealing her away behind the glass and keeping her body and soul safe for eternity was the best for everyone, and I know now it was a huge mistake! I've come back to fix what I did!" They had continued to fight this whole time, blocking and striking, trying to take down their enemy.

"You can't seek redemption!" Mint declared and came at her again. Hikari blocked and forced her back into the flowers.

"I may not be able to, but at least I can help the masters!"

"You can't do a thing! You are just what was left behind! A soul with no where to go, a heart that couldn't find peace in the darkness!" Mint lashed out again, and Hikari just dodged her, but the whip hit her glasses and grazed the side of her head. Her glasses went flying off and landed behind her while she felt that her skin had been scraped off where the whip hit. "And now you can't even see..."

"I don't need to see." Hikari delcared. She closed her eyes and called more flames to her hands. They burned in her palms, angry and ready to do as their master comanded. She pointed her hands down at the ground and smirked. "One blast and this whole field will burn. Your flowers will die." Mint froze.

"What a pathetic last effort."

"It'll help me find my glasses."

"Then do it." Hikari blasted the ground beneath her and the field went up in flames almost instantly. Hikari retreated back into the flame and recovered her glasses. She bent down and placed them back on her eyes. A shadow in the fire caught her attention and she looked up. Mint looked back at her, both of their eyes as firey as the field.

----

6H: Okay, it might've been another short chapter, but it was all about Aru!

Anaretsu: Whatever.

6H: Next chapter-Cedeile remembers something in the Olympus Colosieum!

Anaretsu: Yeah. I'm still not excited.

6H: Other people are!


	13. Floor 13:The Navy Eyes

6H:Welcome to chapter 13! WAH! 13! Is that bad luck?

Anaretsu: I don't believe in such stupid things.

6H: Yeah. Considering that I'm writting this at ten at night.

Anaretsu: That means it'll be worse than usual, right?

6H: Ye-HEY!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 13-The Navy Eyes

----

Cedeile and 427 walked onto the third floor and found themselves in a place with stone walls with carvings in another language and a sandy floor. A blue sky hung above them and warm light shined down. Cedeile stepped forward, a tingling sensation coming to her head.

"427...I must've been here before..." Cedeile said softly.

"You have." 427 replied. "Not much, but you have." Cedeile turned back to face her and frowned. 427 blinked. "What?"

"I really want to know how you know all this stuff about me. You know where I've been and haven't been, who I should and shouldn't know from before-but how? You say that you've never met me before, and yet you seem to know everything."

"I told you," 427 began, annoyed, "I don't know everything about you. And you're right, we haven't met before. Never."

"Then how do you know about me?" Cedeile asked darkly. 427 sighed.

"I can't tell you just yet. Wait till you remember more." she replied, trying to keep her cool.

"That's not good enough anymore! I can't wait till I remember more for you to tell me!" Cedeile yelled. Some birds flew off over head, startled by the sudden echo. Cedeile looked at 427 with something halfway between and pout and a glare. 427 stayed as emotionless as ever. Suddenly, footsteps came up behind them.

"Hey! What's with all the racket?" a voice yelled. Cedeile turned, thinking the voice sounded famillar.

_"No, never. And I'm not a 'punk.' I'm Phil, and I run the place, and I'm telling you kiddies to get out!" he yelled at them. _And indeed, the goat-man from her memories reappeared right before her. Cedeile's eyes went slightly wider.

"What are you girls doing here? This isn't a place to play around in! It's a place for heros! Now go run along and play dolls somehwere else!" Phil yelled at them. Cedeile's eyebrow twitched and she squatted down to his eye level.

"Look, goat boy-I haven't played with a doll since I was five. I much rather liked to beat up my friends then talk to an inamate object with a painted on face." she said quietly, with a dangerous look on her face.

"I'm no goat boy!" Phil told her. "And I don't care about your childnood! I care that you get out of the way!" Cedeile stood up and took out the heartblade.

"Fine. We'll do this the hard way." And after a few quiet moments, the silence was broken once again as Phil went flying up into the air, having been wacked by the heartblade. Cedeile rested the weapon over her shoulder and smirked proudly as she watched him soar through the distance. "Oh yeah. That'll make a new record, I bet." She said to herself proudly. 427 shook her head.

"Did you just remember something?" 427 asked.

"Yeah. I know that guy-at least I've met him before. His name's Phil, and I think he runs the place. Anyway, I guess I also remembered something about myself as well. Yeah, I remember that I always used to beat up this guy. I can't remember what he looks like or what his name is, or even the sound of his voice-only that we were really horrible to each other."

'She's getting closer.' 427 thought. 'I wonder what she'll remember next. It's only a matter of time till she remembers...HIM.' And through some miraculous miracle, Phil was still able to move, and crawled back to the room the two girls were in.

"What a...hit..." Phil got out as he painfully inched across the floor.

"You deserved it, bastard." Cedeile told him. "Girls can be strong too. And anyone who picks on me is gonna get it!" she said cockily.

"Alright, alright. But you don't really seem like heros. Hero's have to be strong, brave, kind and of course good looking!" he said as he stood up. While he talked he counted the requirements on his fingers.

"I am strong! I've been fighting the heartless. I'm brave because I faced down a snake demon even though I was losing half of my blood! I'm kind too, because...well, because I don't go around killing every person I see. And what do you mean, good looking! I'm no ravishing beauty, but I'm not ugly either!" Cedeile insisted.

"Strong I'll give you, since you sent me flying fifty feet in the air. Brave is more than just losing some blood. You're defienatly not kind, and I'm not even gonna remark on the last one." Phil told her.

"You little..."Cedeile gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. 427 intervined before she could proceed to clobber him again.

"So, what do we have to do to prove it to you?" she asked in her montone voice. Phil looked her up and down, and knew that she was no ordinary girl. Was it the battle suit, the pale skin, those cold emtionless eyes, or something else?

"Well...okay, go through the course, if you want. It's tough, though. I thought that Sora kid wasn't gonna make it before."

"SORA?" Cedeile exclaimed upon hearing that name. "Sora was here? When? I gotta know!" Cedeile begged him.

"A while ago. He left though. Took Hades down. He was strong." Phil commented.

"Then I have to go through the course. To find Sora. And my memories..." Cedeile ran off into the maze.

"Cedeile! Damn it. That girl..." and 427 followed. Phil watched them both leave.

'The both of them...I got an unnerving feeling. Espically from the pale-haired one.' he thought. 'Aw well. Whatever.'

----

The maze itself was pretty uneventful. There were heartless waiting to ambush them in every room and they fought them until there were no more, but it was very routine. At last, at the end of the maze, they found themselves in a huge arena, in the center of which was a fighting ring. The place seemed to be empty.

"That's it?"Cedeile asked. "What a waste of time. It was just more of the same."

"Sure." Phil said, coming out of a different entrance. "But that was just a warm up lap. Now you gotta fight for real." Cedeile smirked.

"For real, huh? Okay. Just bring up another round of heartless and I'll take care of them one, two three!" She said.

"This isn't just a game now! You're gonna fight an experienced warrior!" he said.

"Bring it." Cedeile challenged. A gate on the other side of the arena opened up and a shadow walked through. He was tall, with spikey blonde hair, a huge sword strapped on his back, a long flowing cloak, and out of his back a single demonic wing...

His blue eyes looked directly at her, dully, with no emotion in them. Cedeile, however, gasped, and her eyes went wide. Suddenly, there was a painful shot through her head and she began to remember an onslaught of memories.

_"Don't you remember when we came here?"_

_"You think you know me, but you really don't."_

_"If you really knew me, you would know that I made a vow to never let anyone die on me again."_

_"I'm not smart, remember?"_

_"So just tell me right now-is this the real you? Are you really standing here in front of me? Or is it my mind messing around with me?"_

_"Your eyes are such an unusual color."_

_"I wanted to say that I-"_

_"I know this might sound strange but...could you call me by my real name? The way you say it...it sounds nice..."_

_"And his name...is Sephiroth."_

_"No...no, of course not. Why would I be angry?"_

_"You're getting covered in blood...I'm sorry..."_

_"Cloud trained me to fight when we were younger."_

_"Tifa...who's...?"_

"Cloud?" she asked. The man nodded at her.

"Hello again...Cedeile..." Cedeile nearly fell down from the pain in her head. Instead, she staggered down to her knees. And in her mind, all she could see were those navy eyes, all she could feel was a warmth of arms being on her shoulders, then moving up to her neck and her face. Those eyes looking back at her, and only her as they lay together in the darkness, and a boy's voice sounding her ears.

_"I wanted to say that I-"_

"NO!" Cedeile yelled.

"Cedeile, what's wrong?" 427 asked. Cedeile shook her head and tried to stand, but found it impossible with those navy eyes looking back at her in her head. She cracked her eyes open and looked up at Cloud, who showed no sign of alarm or wanting to help her. The arena spun.

_"Cedeile..."_

_"I just wanted to say that you and I are friends now."_

She stumbled again, forgetting what she was supposed to be doing. She just wanted the pain to stop, for those beautiful eyes to go away, but then again, she wanted them to stay. They felt famillar, and that's what she wanted right now-something she knew for sure was hers by her side. Those navy eyes...she remembered them...they belonged to-

...and she thought she loved them.

"NO!" she screamed again and got up suddenly.

"Cedeile-" 427 gasped out and went to go towards her. But Cedeile ignored her and stumbled out of the arena, walking back into the maze. Phil and 427 watched in surprise and worry.

"What was that all about?" Phil asked, confused.

"She must've been remembering...what happed that day, nearly ten years ago." 427 said, worried. She thought for a moment, and then turned her back to the arena. "I'm going after her. She's very unstable now. There's no telling what might happen if she got invovled in a fight." And 427 ran in the direction the heartblade master had disappeared in. Phil shook his head, not really getting it at all. And for a breif moment, mostly obscured by his cloak, Cloud gave the smallest of small smiles.

----

_"I wanted to say that I-"_

'Go away...go away...'

_"Yeah...we're alright now."_

'Go away...no more...'

Cedeile sat against a wall and hugged her knees to her chest. She rested her weary head on top of them, trying to force away the memory. She had been fond of those eyes at first, but now she couldn't stand them. Because she couldn't recall whose face they belonged too. She couldn't recall the throat from where that deep voice came, or the lips that they came from. She didn't recognize the feeling of what she remembered as to be his breath against her skin. The scary part was that Cedeile felt very attached to those eyes, so much that it felt as if they belong to some precious to her, someone who she cared about...

...alot, it seemed.

And that scared her. It scared her senseless. Even now, with the pain receeding in her head, she felt the scars of these memories. But what did Cloud have to do with any of them, save the last two. Tifa...who was she? Did she know Cloud? How did Cedeile know Cloud's name? It was all so sudden and painful and new...but why should memories seem new? But they didn't feel like hers at all. Not one bit did they seem like hers.

427 found her without a problem. The confident agent walked over to her and stood sqaure before her, looking down at the red and black ball. She narrowed her amber eyes and slung her sword over her shoulder. She gazed up at the blue sky.

"Get up. If you don't pull yourself together in the next five seconds, I'm going to hurt you." She told Cedeile evenly. Cedeile didn't budge. 427 rolled her eyes. "Stop this, Cedeile. You're supposed to be strong."

"I know." Cedeile relunctantly said. 427 sighed and sat down next to the heartblade master.

"What did you remember?" she asked, afraid of the anwser, and thinking she already knew.

"I remembered...eyes..."427 was surprised. She had expected to hear 'my brother's death' from Cedeile.

"What kind of eyes?"

"Dark ones. Navy blue-like no other color I've ever seen. And I know I should know them, but I don't. And I also remember the name 'Tifa' and asking this person if she knew Cloud. That's about it. And the name Sephiroth. That's about it." she replied.

"That's all? And that got you freaked out?"

"It's the fact that they don't seem like my memories at all. Shouldn't they feel a little bit famillar?"

"Maybe not until you get all your memories back. Cloud must've triggered all these things. But why? I guess it really doesn't matter. The important thing is that you've gained alot so far. Look at how much more you know now then you did when we started."

"Yeah. Nabuki, Sepiroth, Tifa, Cloud, navy blue eyes, and pieces of my childhood. That's something at least."

"And you know you're the heartblade master." 427 stood up and, grudingly, offered a hand to help Cedeile up. Cedeile gladly took it, and 427 pulled her to her feet. "Now, let's go back. You have a match with Cloud to win."

"Yup." Cedeile replied, smiling.

----

"It's perfect." Axel said. "She's beginning to doubt Agent 427." He leaned against the glass orb in triumph.

"More like she's made a stronger bond with that girl." Lakchine spat. "You didn't do a thing but waste energy and show off."

"Hey, I did put some ideas into her head." He pouted at her. She frowned.

"You're childish sometimes. Look, let me take care of her. I'm getting bored. Waiting for Sora-it's too much." She complained. "You and Vixen get to have all the fun with our victims. It's just not fair."

"Well get used to it. Sora still has a few cards, you know. You can meet him before he goes to the seventh floor. You can meet the girl there too. She'll most likely remember some more by then. Then you can play a little more." Lakchine smirked after he said that and showed her knives. She licked the edge of one in satifaction.

"Excellent." A figure appeared in the doorway behind them.

"Well well. I'm glad someone is ready and willing to work." a voice said from under the hood.

"Marucia...what a surprise to see you down here. To what do we owe the honor?" Axel asked sarcasticly. Marucia threw back his hood, revealing his chesnut brown hair and cunning eyes.

"Just checking up on things. I hope Sora's enjoying his stay?" Axel and Lakchine looked at each other, wondering if he knew about their other guest.

"He's slowly losing his memories. Namine is doing wonderfully." Lakchine responded.

"I see. And Riku?"

"Zexion said that Riku was entertained." Axel anwsered. Marucia nodded.

"Good, good. Soon, Sora will be mine, and Riku will be disposed of. There is a little problem with our dark friend though." He walked further into the room and looked back and forth between them. "Do you know what it is?"

"No sir." Axel replied.

"Two words-Hikari Tagami. Or rather, that girl who shares her body with the ancient mage."

"Hikari Tagami has come back?" Lakchine asked, shocked. "No way. She's been dead five hundred years!"

"The superior doesn't lie. He saw her-at end of the world."

"And the girl who's her front-what does she have to do with Riku?" Axel asked.

"She's protecting his heart-a barrier has been place around it. Making him useless to us." Marucia's eyes slightly hardened. "It's a burden, really."

"Sounds like he isn't worth all the effort we're giving him." Axel replied. Marucia nodded.

"That's true. What do we do about it?" Axel began to relax in the presence of this powerful force, but Lakchine stayed uptight. Marucia noticed this and looked around Axel to her.

"What's the matter Lakchine? You look like you have something on your mind."

"It's nothing." she responded, a little too quickly. Marucia smirked to himself.

"Nothing? I see." he said slyly, already knowing that Cedeile was in the castle. He had known the whole time. Namine had blabbed to him by mistake.

_"I know there's something you're not telling me about Sora." Marucia said to the poor girl. "Something that makes you hesitate to erase every last useless memory of his." She trembled. "Tell me, Namine. What does your hero do that makes you hesitate?"_

_"It's..." she began, hesitatnly. She clutched her dress in her hands. "Lord Marucia! Axel and Lakchine told me not to tell, but the heartblade master is in the castle!"_

Oh, how easy it had been for him to get her to crack. Namine was like puddy in his hands- ready to bend every which way he chose to stretch her. And there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. His plan to overthrow the organization was flawless. He had so many loyal followers right under his fingers. And as long as Namine was behind him, no one could even touch him.

----

6H: End of this chapter! Next time-Cedeile goes to the fourth floor, and Anya arrives at Castle Oblivion! Plus, Ryu finds himself inside the dream world of a theme park! Sounds weird? Read to find out what I mean.


	14. Floor 14:Presence

6H: Welcome to chapter 14, everyone!

Anaretsu: Meh.

6H: Yeah. The story's kind of dragging along. But I hope this chapter will pick it up a bit. And in case you were conufsed Marucia is Marluxia. Yes, the japanese name thing again.

----

Kingdom Hearts-Advenutures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 14-Presence

----

Anya had been running down the path for hours, and now she finally saw the huge, golden castle loom up ahead of her. She puased to catch her breath and looked up at the monolith of darkness. She had remembered faintly things about this castle her grandmother had told her. And he had gone there too-the one she had called brother. They weren't really related, but he had been taken in by her family before she was born, so she always called him 'older brother.' But one day, he had turned his back on them and left, saying he was going to the endless abyess of darkness. She had known from the beginning he was not like her or the rest of her family. There had always been something different. But she had liked him all the same.

The day he had left was a heartbreaking one. She had stood on the door step crying, asking why he didn't like her anymore.

_"Why don't you like me anymore, Ni-sama?" she asked. He turned back to her, dark eyes compassonite, and smiled sadly for her._

_"It's not that-not at all. I could never not like you, Anya. But I need to get away for awhile. I don't belong here. I have a feeling that I will find what I'm looking for in the darkness." he replied._

_"But the darkness is bad, isn't it?" she asked, afraid. He knelt down in front of her and wiped some of the tears away._

_"It wasn't always. It used to be good-when it was called dark." A figure appeared behind Anya in the doorway-it was Grandmother. She looked at him sternly and he stood up and looked squarely back at her._

_"Haven't you caused us enough anguish?" Grandmother asked._

_"Hold onto the thing I gave you, grandmother. You know what I'm talking about." He turned and left them forever._

Anya wasn't sure what thing he meant. It wasn't the item she now wore around her neck,she knew that. This had been in her family for generations. But it must've been something else. Anya wondered if it was the other thing Grandmother kept in that box-the blank card. Cards ruled Castle Oblivion, and he was there, waiting. Whether or not he had found what he was looking for she didn't know, but she knew he was there. Grandmother must've known what the card meant, but Anya never dared to ask about the 'thing' her ni-sama had left. But now Anya began to think that the card was making sense...a little bit anyway. He was in Castle Oblivion, and he left a card, which is a crucial part of Castle Oblivion. But what was it for?

She began to walk again, at an easy pace, and made her way down the sloping path, where soon, the path would disvole into a bridge above an abyss. It wasn't the abyss of darkness she had heard ni-sama talk about. The one he was searching for was called Kingdom Hearts.

----

_"And the fragments are there." he had told her. "Deep down in that darkness."_

_"The fragments from grandmother's book?" Anya asked him. He nodded._

_"Well, some of them, anyway. They're scattered all over the worlds. Worlds outside of this one, Anya-different than anything you could imagine. Worlds in enternal night, or completely submerged under an ocean, or a place where fantasy from stories come true, a world where people wear masks all the time...jungles and splendid kingdoms and libraries that are worlds on their own, and a magic place where kids never grow up, a world of haunted things and halloween, a desert kingdom, an arena where heros fight for honor and valor-and still so many more indescribable places, Anya! Thousands upon thousands of worlds are out there waiting for us. So much grander than this open field that goes no where. And then there's the place where all these worlds came from and go back to when they die. A place called Kingdom Hearts. In that endless darkness at the End of the World, there is the last of an ancient power that was thought to cease to be five hundred years ago. It's called dark-and from it came darkness. The dark is good, and one day, all darkness will become dark once more. Then the trinity of power will be complete again."_

_"Trinity of power?"_

_"Yes. Light, Dark and In-between. But in-between is changing into something else-Twilight."_

_"So twilight is between light and dark?"_

_"Yes. It keeps the two from clashing. But when darkness came...now, twilight might not be enough to stop it."_

_"Stop what, Ni-sama?"_

_"To stop a war that might be coming. Darkness is trying to break through again. If a certain place falls, then the war will happen. The war between light, darkness, dark, and twilight. Dark may not stand a chance. Twilight may not either."_

_"What place would cause this war, though? Why is it so important?" _

_"This place is called Hallow Bastion. It is a place very far away from here, and many good people live there, Anya. However, there is one man-a very evil man-who may unleash the darkness. This may have been destined to happen, but it must be stopped. If Hallow Bastion falls, then this man will take over everything and unleash darkness upon all worlds. However, if Hallow Bastion can stand, then he cannot complete his goal. You see, Hallow Bastion is where the darkness was sealed away five hundred years ago. It is holy ground, where the angels and demons sleep and battle, and where the twilight keeps them apart. Those who stand in twilight are called the nobodies." Anya was wide eyed at this._

_"The nobodies? Why are they called nobody?"_

_"Because they have lost a part of themselves. They are special-because they don't exist."_

_"Where do they live, ni-sama?"_

_"Oh, they are everywhere-we just can't see them because we aren't looking hard enough. But if you try hard enough, sometimes you might just sense their presence. Anya, trust the nobodies-they WILL protect you. I know they will, because you are a good little girl with a kind heart."_

_"Can I trust dark too?"_

_"Yes. Trust dark as well."_

_"And the light?"_

_"It might be better if you stay away from the two big powers-light and darkness, I mean. But that doesn't mean to turn your back on them. Just be more cautious with light and darkness. Alright?"_

_"I will, Ni-sama." _

_"I know you will. I have no doubt in my mind."_

_"Ni-sama? How can we go to those other worlds?" He held her next to him as the both sat in the window sill. He cradled her like he was protecting her and they both stared at the vast amount of stars in the sky. He seemed to be thinking, as he was silent for a long while. A gentle breeze fluttered through the grass and blew her blonde hair around, but his hair didn't move an inch. She snuggled into his arm tighter while he rocked her gently, like a baby. At last ,she was impatient. "Ni-sama!"_

_"Hmmm?"_

_"The other worlds! How do we get there!"_

_"Well...I'm not sure. But if I ever find a way, then we'll go together. You and I will see these other worlds that are so different from our own." _

_"Really? Together?"_

_"Yes. It'll be great, Anya. We'll have so much fun, the two of us."_

_"I can't wait, Ni-sama. It's so exciting." She giggled. He laughed half-heartedly._

_"Well, we may not find a way, Anya, so don't get too excited."_

_"Oh Ni-sama, you're always so negitive all the time!" she whined._

_"That's what I like about you, Anya. How you're always so postive about everything all the time. Never lose that sense that makes you able to do everything you try. Don't forget, Anya. Whatever you do, don't forget that. It is the most important thing."_

----

And she hadn't forgotton. As she walked down that road, she realized that it had been seven years since that day. Seven years since he left her alone. Seven years since that day he walked away from their small house in the middle of this field that never ended, save for when it came to the castle. She wondered if Hallow Bation had fallen, or if it had won the onslaught of darkness. She had a bad feeling that it had fallen, for one day seven years ago, they had been playing outside together and suddenly, ni-sama had frozen and looked up at the blue sky like something awful had happened. She had asked him what was wrong, but he told her it was nothing. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling.

So much had changed in seven years time for her. Her father had died, the strong man that protected her. He grandmother had once walked with an elegant arogance but now couldn't get up without the aid of her cane. Ni-sama had left them, and she had grown up alot since then. But had she stayed the way her brother liked her? Did she really still have that postiveness-he had called it opitimism-that he said she had possessed seven years ago?

Seven years...

And yet it hadn't seemed like more than a day.

And suddenly she was at the end of the road and the beginning of the bridge. The castle mocked her, daring her to come inside and face her doom. But she wasn't afraid. She hardened her eyes as if telling the castle to say it's prayers.

'I'm not afraid of some stupid castle. If Ni-sama could go into the abyss of darkness and make it to Kingdom Hearts without being afraid, then I can enter this castle of memories and complete my task. I'll find the heartblade master.'

"You hear that, Ni-sama!" she yelled out to the castle. "I'll meet the Heartblade master! Watch me!" She took the necklace off her neck and held it up in the air. "And I'll GIVE HER THIS!" The cross dangled and reflected what little light there was. "Yeah! I'll bring to her! And you won't stop me!" She placed it back on her neck and took her first step on the bridge. She was afraid the ground might crumble beneath her feet, as nothing was supporting it. Nothing she could see anyway, but that thought didn't comfort her much anyway. She staggered down the winding bridge, making it more treacherous since it wasn't just a straight bridge. It was a winding as the path in the field, and there was nothing beneath it but darkness. Falling forever didn't seem like a nice way to die.

'No, I'm not gonna give up. Never.' she thought, making her way down further and further. Every step took her closer to the castle. The heartblade master was inside. And she had a feeling that Ni-sama was in there too. She was going to have to make a choice-to fight her ni-sama who had taken care of her when she was younger, who played with her and told her stories and protected her. But this was for the good of the world. Of all worlds. And she wouldn't give up. They'd have to pry the special chain from her cold dead fingers before she would give it up to the hooded men-the organization. Ni-sama may have joined them, but that wasn't going to stop Anya from doing what she had to do.

Another few steps forward and she'd be at the door. She took a deep breath and ran up to the door, glad to be on somewhat solid ground again. She looked up at the massive doors. They were grand things really. They were guilded in gold around the frames of them, and pure gold leaf decorated the handles of the doors. She gripped these handdles and pulled open the door just wide enough for her to slip in, which was no easy task because the doors were so heavy.

She was now inside with no chance to turn back. The white hall did not frighten her. She stayed brave and began to move forward through the castle. Forward, towards the heartblade master.

----

That's when Namine sensed something. A magic smiliar to the heartblade's power. She thought harder and tried to go down through the castle floors to where she sensed it. She had gone all the way to the first floor and hit a barrirer around the source, bouncng her back up into her body.

Marucia, Axel, Lakchine, and now Vixen were gathered in the top room of the tower with her, and they knew she had sensed something and tried to find it. Marucia smirked.

"What is it, Namine?" he asked her. She looked up at him, scared and sheepish.

"I felt something on the first floor. A great magic energy." she replied.

"Magic, huh? Hikari Tagami has come to call?" Vixen asked, smirking.

"No. Not like that. It's not that powerful. But it's just an object. It's sheilding a person who has no magic at all." she explained.

"So someone has wandered into the castle with a little wand or something?" Axel remarked sarcasticly. "That's so helpful, Namine."

"Shut up, Axel." Marucia snapped.

"This person is not very strong at all, but as long as they have that item, they are protected from my magic."

"So your magic can't even get through?" Lakchine asked, surprised.

"No."

"Then we'll get rid of them." Marucia said. "It shouldn't be hard."

"But..."Namine said hesitantly.

"But what?" Marucia sneered. Namine cowered back further into her chair but spoke.

"She's harmless-not worth the effort. That girl down on the first floor is not a mage or warrior of any kind. It's just the item that protects her and gives her aura a boost, to make it noticable." Namine explained nervously. "So it would be a waste of time to kill her."

"She's got a point." Lakchine said. "Two masters and that Riku kid running around already gives us enough on our hands. It might be better if we just leave the harmless one alone. If she does get in the way," She extended her knives, "then we'll kill her." The others seemed to agree, and Namine heaved a silent sigh of relief. She wasn't sure what the item that person carried was, but she knew it had something to do with the heartblade master, the black haired girl.

"Well, if that's the case, then I'll just head back down to see what's happenng with Riku." Vixen said.

"And what about that angel-demon of yours?" Axel asked.

"It's a HALF angel-demon, dim-witt. And who cares? I have more important things to worry about. Riku is a more important matter. The superior would be very unhappy if we let this one get away. Just focus on your job-the masters are your concern." Vixen spat quickly.

"Masters? As in plural?" Marucia asked slyly. Lakchine was shocked, her eyes wide. Axel shot Vixen a death glare, who shrugged it off. "That would mean there are two masters here. Since one of them is the keybalde master, I assume the other is the heartblade master, right?" He said, looking back and forth between them. No one spoke, but looked to each other for the anwser. Namine looked at the floor with her eyes clenched tight. Marucia stood up and walkked over to the girl. He grabbed a handfull of her light hair and pulled her head up to force her to look at him. "I have to thank you my dear." he said as she wimpered."You three are so foolish. Namine told me a long time ago that the heartblade master was here. I already knew, but I guess now that the cat's out of the bag..." He pulled Namine up next to him as he whirled around to face them. He held her off the ground with his death grip around her waist.

"You litte wench." Axel hissed under his breath.

"You betrayed us, Namine." Lakchine said plainly.

"Don't listen to them, Namine. You did the right thing. I am lord of this castle, and leader of the movment to overthrow the organiaztion. Or have we forgotton our dream?" They all went quiet and looked away from him and each other. He smirked and threw Namine on the floor, causing her to skid a few inches and cry out in pain. "Have we forgotton!" he asked louder. Suddenly, the mirror in the white frame on the other side of the room began to ripple, like water. Marucia looked over at it, smirking. "Ah. A guest from our neighbor." And through the mirror came King Cloud himself.

He walked past Axel, Vixen, and Lakchine without even looking at them. He focused on Marucia alone. The two stopped in front of each other, a few feet apart, just watching for a long time. Finally, Marucia spoke to him.

"That's the form you've decided to take, eh?" he asked smoothly. Cloud's gaze hardened.

"How I appear is not of your concern. I'm just here to claim what is mine." he said.

"What?" Marucia asked, impatiently.

"One of mine has drifted over to your side. I want her back." he demanded calmly.

"Who is it?"

"The heartblade master. She came to my castle and got lost, and somehow drifted to this side." he stated calmly. Marucia smirked and then began to laugh.

"Seriously? You really think I'm just going to hand her over?" he asked, highly amused and began laughing again. His booming voice echoed off the walls. And the other four in the room still watching-Axel, Lakchine, Vixen, and Namine-were slightly afraid of what Marucia might do. They had seen him like this often, right before he lashed out and killed something. Cloud didn't move an inch, though. They wondered if he was crazy, not fearing their leader. But then again, he had some power of his own, and Marucia envied that power.

"Well, it would be best if you did." Cloud replied quietly. The others thought Marucia wouldn't have heard it, but he did and promptly stopped his evil cackle.

"It would be best, huh? Did you know all her memories are gone?" he asked.

"All of them? I only assumed I had most of them."

"So it was you who took them." Cloud slightly nodded and smirked to himself.

"Yep. I knew this would be interesting." he said softly.

"What are you babbling about?" Marucia demanded. Cloud turned his back to him.

"Okay. You keep her. I don't care anymore." he said and began to walk back to the mirror. Marucia glared and took out his rose colored sycthe.

"I won't let you escape so easily!" he yelled and went to attack him with the sytche. Cloud turned just in time and with his armored claws blocked him. Everyone was shocked. The silence was only broken by Cloud's long cape fluttering down to hang limply after the action was complete. Cloud smirked at Marucia, who frowned back.

"I didn't think you would. I know what I need to, so I'm leaving now. You know you can't touch me."

"Yes. I'm aware, you arrogant bastard." Marucia growled. The two pulled back and both disengaged their weapons. Cloud turned and walked silently back through the mirror, which let him through like liquid. When it settled again, it was just a plain looking mirror. Marucia turned back to look at all of them.

"Well, what are you doing? Get going-there is work to be done!"

----

Ryu did remember passing out, but notthat he had stopped falling at any point. His eyes just flew open and he was standing on hard ground in front of some strange place. A full moon hung heavily in the sky, like it would fall on the earth. Strange structures rose up in the distance. The sky was starless. There he was, standing in front of some sort of arch that read 'DREAM PARK.'

He looked down at himself. His wounds from Hikari Tagami were gone. He didn't remember them being healed. He hardly remembered getting them in the first place. And he was confused-why would Hikari Tagami attack him? Or was it a trick? He began to walk forward into the 'dream park', glarring at the wooden benches, unsuspecting shrubs, and completely empty streets.

'What the hell is this place?' he though to himself. It seemed that there were different sections in the park that had different themes-a theme park. He had read about these strange places. That would explain the structures in the distance, and the many food vendors and shops. But it was empty-everything was shut tight. He couldn't have left Castle Chocobo. Then again, first he was in an endless snow forest, now he was in theme park.

"Alright, Cerulean. We'll play your little game. But I intend to win!" he said to the silence. Cerulean was hiding in an alleyway between two buildings as she watched him walk by. She sighed and turned her back to him, disappearing into the shadows.

----

6H: That's all for this chapter! How'd you like it?

Anaretsu: What are you wearing on your head?

6H: My Naruto headband from AnimeNEXT! YAY!

Anaretsu: I'm not gonna ask.

6H: What? I look cute in it! Next chapter-Ryu and Cerulean confront each other in the bloodiest of battles! At least, I hope.


	15. Floor 15:Dream for Two

6H: I'll tell you all, I hated this chapter. I hated it. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to write before. And it didn't turn out how I wanted it to at all. I don't think it's any good.

Anaretsu: Meh...

6H:Well, my computer is FINALLY back from the dead.So after much delay, I give you chapter fifteen and several apologies for the long wait.

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Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 15-Dream for Two

----

Ryu slowly walked under the arch and into the 'Dream Park' as it was called. He looked around warily as he proceeded. The streets were lined with games, food stands, shops, and more of the same. The street suddenly made a turn and Ryu saw a huge road in front of him. Down the center was a line of trees with benches under them and flowers growing in the beds around them. More shops were along the sides, and some of the tall metal structures were closer. The moon shone down silently. Ryu took a step forward and heard music starting up. It was a jovial, yet somewhat sad tune that sounded like carnival music coming from one of those organs they carried around. As he walked, everything began to come alive. The game stands began to operate on their own, the rides began to move, and strings of lights in the trees above him began to light all the way down the avenue. He walked all the way down the road, looking around at the sights and sounds, the music getting louder as he headed for the centerpiece of this area. A huge, two level carousel turned slowly, all light up majestically. The elegantly carved horses rotated, some moving up and down, other stationary, around painted scenes of old times. He sore he could almost here the laughter of children.

"Alright, Cerulean. Come out and show yourself. I know you're here." He called, taking out his huge blade and holding it easily in one hand. There was no answer to his voice. He sighed and looked around. There was no evidence of any kind of life here, but how could that be possible? He turned back around to the carousel and thought he saw a shadow on the first level, disappear around the corner as it turned. He hopped over the fence and jumped onto it. He lost his balance and fell over, but jumped up and regained his composure quickly. Brushing the dust off his clothes, he looked around him for another sign of the shadow, but wasn't so lucky. Steadying himself on the hardwood floor, he began to walk against the rotation to look for it.

He saw it a second time, but once again it disappeared around the corner. He ran towards it, slipping around the stationary animals and whatnot that decorated the ride. He turned another corner and saw space in the central tower that the stairs for the second level were located. Sheathing his sword, he ran to beat the turning and jumped on, hitting his head on the wall from the sudden stop. He fell on the stairs and cursed.

"Damn it." He mumbled under his breath. He pushed himself up with his arms and felt his head. He wasn't bleeding, luckily enough, but it hurt like hell. He didn't realize how dizzy being on the carousel had made him. He staggered up the gold and wood stairs, passing the elegant paintings of women. One caught his attention, mostly because he tripped on the stairs halfway up them again and found himself looking at it. It was of a girl with long black hair and dark emerald eyes. He sat on his knees, trying to stop himself from being dizzy, and looked at her. She seemed very sad as she held a long silver chain in her clasp hands. And she also seemed kind of familiar. Ryu got up on his feet again, but fell forward onto the wall. That's when he heard laughter.

"Cerulean…." He said. He pushed himself off the wall, and looked once more at the painting of the girl, on hand still resting on it. It gave it one last look, and then ran up the rest of the stairs.

Even though it wasn't much higher up, the air seemed crisper and clearer up here. This level was a little smaller than down below, and had fewer horses, so maneuvering would be easier. He looker both ways to find the shadow. He stepped forward, this time deciding to go with the turning of it. He heard a small splash when he stepped forward and looked down. Around his foot was a puddle of water. His eyes went wide as he stepped back and drew his sword in one fluid motion and Cerulean's form was built out of the water and she drew her water spear. The two weapons clashed, sending sparking flying.

"Clever, hiding yourself like that." He said.

"Yes, I know." She responded. The two broke apart and came at each other again. Ryu seemed to have the upper hand as he blocked Cerulean's low attack. They pushed each other away and stumbled back, eyeing each other, each one's weapon held ready.

"Why have you been coming after me?" Ryu asked.

"I can't tell you why." She replied as came at him. He ducked to avoid the spear, but it caught him above the right eyebrow. He winced as he felt the slight sting hit him, but went at her. She blocked him, but he kneed her in the stomach, sending her back. She fell to the floor and rolled away from his falling sword. She thrust her spear at him but only caught his cloak. He went to strike her, but she cried out in panic and dissolved into water.

"Damnit, Cerulean. Get back here!" Ryu yelled. He went to the railing on the side and saw her retreating down the street. "Why is she running?" He put the question aside and gripped the railing tightly. He hoisted himself up on the railing and leapt off the carousel, landing on the ground with such force that he crouched down to stay steady. He darted upright and proceeded after her. 'She's bee pursuing me this whole time, since I woke up in the forest alone. She must know something. She's got to.' He thought as he ran down the park streets.

Suddenly she took a sharp right turn and he followed. The park opened up to a wide lake whose stagnant waters loomed underneath the bridge, completely black, and seemed endless.

"Stupid girl." Ryu murmured to himself. "And why the hell am I chasing her again. Oh yeah-she got me here." The hollow sound of his footsteps on the bridge and his breathing were the only sounds to fill the night. Cerulean was far ahead of him, almost disappearing from sight, but he wasn't about to let her get away. He picked up his speed drastically and jumped up onto the railing, flying along it like a bird. He pulled out the rapier he kept in his cloak as a back up weapon and came up along side of the girl he was chasing. "Why're you running away Cerulean? Am I not your type?" He slashed at her and only tore her sleeve, but she staggered backwards and hit the other side of the bridge. He jumped up into the air, but Cerulean blocked with her spear that she pulled out quickly. He landed on the bridge and kicked up her spear out of her hands. It flew up above his head and he grabbed it while jabbing the rapier through her sleeve and into one of the spindle behind her.

"Let me go!" Cerulean cried.

"Oh, so now you're talking to me instead of just attacking." He spat at her. "You know why I'm here. You've been jerking me around and having a fun time of it, but I'm sick and tired of this. It's really pissing me that you think you can pull a sheet over my eyes and play me for a fool. So spit it out-what's going on. What have you done with Aru and Hikari Tagami?" He asked fiercely. Cerulean looked at him with wild eyes and then dissolved into water again. "Damn you!" Ryu yelled as the water fell through the cracks. He saw her figure up ahead in the distance again and watched her disappear from sight.

"Well damn. Damn, damn, damn…looks like I'm back to the chase."

----

After he had crossed the bridge, Ryu began walking around to try and find his foe again. She had vanished for his view, and he hadn't been able to find her since their encounter on the bridge. And now he was worried.

He passed a huge fountain with an old statue in the center-a headless angel with it's weathered arms extened, her hands cupped delicatly, as if reaching to receive something. He sat on the stone edge and rested, the continuous flow of the water relaxing his senses.

"Damn it." He said out loud. "Damn, damn damn..."

"What're you angry about?" A voice asked as footsteps approached him. He didn't look up at them-the voice seemed famillar.

"Nothing. I'm not angry."

"Then why are you cursing like that?"

"I always do."

"Don't be like this-" He turned angrily and thought he would see some one else. But he only saw Cerulean standing there. "-Ryu..."He looked at her strangely for a moment. "Is there something wrong?" He turned away and looked at the ground.

"I don't know who I expected to see. I even thought, for a moment, someone would call me by my real name. I don't know why." She sat down next to him. and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"I'm sorry...for all I've done to you so far. I hate fighting, but I don't have a choice."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not allowed to say."

"What's really going on Cerulean?" He asked, look back over at her again. She sighed heavily.

"I'm not allowed to tell you anything right now." she replied. "It's one of the rules."

"Then you won't help me out a bit? Come on, give me a hint. Anything! I feel like...I'm missing something." He said. "Like someone messed with my head."

"That's almost right." She replied sadly. "I can't tell you anymore, though."

"Why are you here with me? Where's Aru? How'd I get here?"

"I've been assigned to you. Your friend is somewhere else. And I can't tell you." She replied.

"Well, nothing ever comeseasy, I guess." He stood and strecthed his arms out. "I've almost forgotton what I was doing before now, you know? I'm looking for someone-someone who, if in the wrong hands, could destroy the universe."

"Who would have that power?"

"A girl named Silvia." He replied. Cerluean went silent.

"So it's finally begun..." She whispered.

"Huh? You say something?"

"Nothing!" She responded quickly. Ryu turned back to face her, and she stood. "Ryu...I hope you remember...what you forgot." She stepped forward, and he ook a step back, but she grabbed onto his claok and leaned up to him. He thought she would kiss him, but instead, she whispered-"You win. Go up the stairs to the top of the castle. Find your memory..." And as soon as she finished, she disappeared in a thousand little specks of light.

"Cerulean!" He called, and looked all around him as everything burst into little flecks of light and disappeared. Soon, there was only darkness around him and a rose colored door appeared in front of him. He grasped the golden handle and stepped through the threshold, finding himself in a stairwell. He stepped into the rose and gold room, and the door promptly shut behind him.

Ryu looked upwards, seeing several flights of stairs above him and remembering Cerulean's last words to him. He took a few steps slowly at first, but then broke into a run up the stairs.

'She said something about a castle? I dont know what that meant, but I'll keep climbing these stairs until I find out!'

----

Cloud emerged though the mirror silently and walked to his throne. He through himself down and panted to catch his breath. The trip back was always difficult, through the mirror. It was always the same-but it prevented intruders from the other side from getting back. Suddenly, Rose appeared behind him.

"Rose?" he asked, trying to sound like nothing was wrong.

"Thank god you're back and not hurt, your majesty. Recently, I've discovered something of vital importance." She said, with urgency rising in her voice.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"The new players in the castle-the heartblade master's friends-are looking for Silvia. That means-"

"Ansem succeded in bring her back to our world." He finished, in a mere whisper.

"Yes." She replied.

"So, that's why they're here. We may all soon be in great danger, Rose."

"I know. Which is why I passed him, and sent him to his next challenge."

----

427 and Phil sat in the arena's stands while Cedeile and Cloud went at it. Natrually, Cloud ahd the upper hand, and Cedeile was fading fast. Their two weapons rang everytime they hit. 427 watched with indifference.

"So, where did you say you all were from again?" Phil asked her.

"She's from an island out in the ocean, and I...I am from no where." She responded. Phil rolled his eyes.

'Typical mystery woman response.' he thought. "She's got some fighting spirit."

"I suppose, when one has something to fight for, something that is so important, one cannnot go without it, then one would fight no matter what." 427 anwsered with no emotion.

"What happened to her?"

"She lost every memory she had. I'm not sure how, or why, but slowly, she's gaining them back. But...I don't know what I'll do, when she remembers...this one person that I promised something to. This person, when she remembers them, will make her so filled with anguish and misery, that she will want to die." Phil's eyes widened and then he took a few steps away from her. "I want her to remember everything, so I can fulfill my promise to him, but-" A loud cry interupted her scentence. Cedeile had just been thrown to the ground and her weapon sent flying. Cloud pointed his huge sword at her throat.

"Okay, you win! YOU WIN!" she cried. He withdrew his sword and she called the heartblade back to her hand. 427 got up and walked over to the ring.

"So we're done here?" 427 asked. Cedeile nodded.

"I lost, I guess. Damn...ah, well, I can't win them all." She replied. Cloud was still standing off at a distance from them. 427 brushed past Cedeile and walked towards him. She stopped in front of him and glared.

"Yes?" He asked quietly.

"Are you the one at Hallow Bastion? Or the one playing king in the dream castle?" She asked. He smirked and turned, leaving the arena.

"Maybe...I little of both..." he replied, and vanished. Cedeile looked at 427.

"What was that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Nevermind. You wouldn't understand if I exlapained. Right now, we need to keep going onward. There's little time left before things start getting out of hand."

"I see. Well, I guess we'll see you around, Phil!" she called back as the two left the world and headed back to Castle Oblivion's Halls.

----

6H: Thank god that's finally done and over with.

Anaretsu: You sound like me!

6H: So. I'm ticked off with this chapter. Chapter 16 will hopefully be better.


	16. Floor 16:Deal with the Demon King

6H: I really liked chapter 16. It actually has some point. I feel as if all the chapters so far have been fillers, and that's wrong. I want to provide a good story to read, not a bad one. Please forgive and let me make it up to you with the rewrite of Chapter 16

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Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 16-Deal with the Demon King

----

He was smirking. Things were going well. Rather well. He had them playing right in his hands. Each one of them thought they had free will, but they were doing exactly as he wanted. Perfect. It was too good. Except for one thing-the annoying enigma from the dream castle.

Marucia was sitting in the superior's throne. Although it was reserved only for the superior, he wasn't here right now, and what he didn't know would keep Marucia out of trouble. The room he was in was at the top of the castle, secluded from the rest. Now, no one could bother him. This was exactly how he wanted it, for he had someone to talk to, and he didn't want anyone else to overhear what they had to talk about.

There was a mirror in this room, like all the others. It reflected the cold blank room in it's clear glass, but suddenly, the image began to shift and swirl until the mirror was black. A figure appeared in the frame, but didn't come through.

"Ah, you're here at last. I was waiting." Marucia said, even though he hadn't looked over at the mirror.

"I know. I had something to take care of. Sorry."

"It's fine. You showed up at least. So, how is it being demon king?"

"Good. It suits me well. I rather enjoy sitting on the throne of demons, but I would like it more if Nabuki's stench wasn't still all over it. But still, it's fine." The figure leaned against the frame of the mirror, half of him finally being revealed. He was a tall male demon with teal colored hair and sunset colored eyes. His skin wasa calloused tan, and out of his back extended red demon wings. Red and gold cloths were draped around his waist and ended at his ankles. He also had a tail of bones. He smiled, showing his demon fangs.

"Good. But enough of that. We have work to discuss."

"Yes, I know." The demon paused. "Have you heard about Book City?"

"No. It's not my concern what happens in third rate worlds."

"Well it better be now. We thought that everyone had left, and that no one was there to protect it, but we were wrong. Kana, that bastard half demon, has turned traitor and taken to protecting Book City. She's put up a barrier around the entire world and none of us demons can get through."

"That is a problem, Doriko." Marucia replied, not really caring. "However, I have always wanted to meet this Kana person. I heard she came very close to killing the Heartblade master. But then-"

"Nabuki killed her before she could finish the job. I was pissed off at that. Nabuki always did as she pleased, never looking at the big picture. A few more seconds and the Heartblade master could've been dead." Doriko responded angrily. "I really despise Nabuki."

"Good thing she's dead. The Heartblade master took care of her too, right?"

"It just pisses me off that she was a human who turned into a demon. Those demons who did that to her were fools as well. The deal was that they would give Nabuki demon powers, but they underestimated her power of vengeance and hatred. She absorbed their powers and they poisoned her soul. If she was ever touched by the heartblade's purifying light, those powers would be driven from her body, and her demon soul would break, causing her to die. She accepted that, and her one eye became disfigured. It was a symbol of the disfigurement that had occurred within her." He spat disgustedly.

"You know a lot about this. I'm surprised."

"A few of us at the top knew. I forget how I came to know, but once I knew, I hated her more than when she ascended to the throne. You want to know how she did it? She killed a thousand of us in one blow. And not the underlings either-real powerful demons. The top of the pack. All dead in one rush. It was insane. The others were too scared or too smart to defy her, so she became queen. Now I'm in charge. And I'm making sure everyone is loyal to me-not Nabuki."

"It must irk you that they respected her more than they do you."

"Don't mess with me, Marucia. I can kill you if I want. My powers have increased since last we met."

"And they continue to."

"You aren't even taking me seriously!"

"Sorry, Doriko, but I'm preoccupied with my rather bothersome neighbor at the moment. That bastard just paid me a visit."

"I see."

"He is the only one I fear. Not even the superior scares me like he does. He comes over here like he owns the place-and he has such a cocky confidence about him that it irks me to no end. I crave the power he has-the power over dreams. Even in sleep I cannot escape the hold he has over me. It's only a matter of time before he can no longer hide in his current guise. And when he shows his true self, I will be there with my scythe, ready to chop his head off." He declared, his voice rising in anger. He sighed.

"It seems this person angers you like Nabuki does me." Doriko remarked slyly, and he smirked when he saw that Marucia got angry at his words. "Anyway, onto what we came to discuss. You have it, right?" The demon asked. Marucia laughed.

"Do I have it?" Marucia repeated. "Of course I have it. Did you think I'd just through it away?"

"No, not at all. But I just wanted to make sure it was the real deal, not just some fake shard."

"It's the real one." Marucia reached into the sleeve of his coat and pulled out a small glass shard, smaller than his little finger, and held it up in front of him. "He never noticed that I took it. It's so small a piece that it wasn't noticeable, and Silvia could be brought back without it. This one fragment holds ALL of Silvia's powers within it." Doriko grinned greedily and licked his bottom lip.

"It sounds delicious. Even her name-Silvia…I can't wait to devour her."

"Ha. Ansem carried her off awhile back. The superior doesn't know where she is, but I'm intent on finding her before he does." He sighed and held up the fragment to the light. "It'd be so much easier on me if she were completely eliminated."

"Is that so? You don't want to go there? To Rakuen?"

"Not really. Rakuen holds no interest for me. All I want is to overthrow the organization." He replied. Doriko thought for a moment.

"So I can have that shard, but what do you want in return?" Marucia laughed again.

"You said you could kill the heartblade master, correct?" He asked. Doriko tried not to show he was surprised and suppressed him emotions again. His expression turned sour.

"I did. You asked me awhile back. Why? Don't you want to use her for your goal?"

"She's of no use. Not only were her memories wiped clean, but she'll prevent Sora from forgetting, if they meet. Kill her before that happens."

"You need her to get to Rakuen."

"Wrong again, demon king. Ansem needed her to get to Rakuen. You forget I have no desire to find Paradise, when I already do no exist. What can paradise give me?" Doriko didn't answer him, so Marucia continued. "Kill the heartblade master. That way, the superior loses twice."

"Well I'll tell you what I've got in store for her then. I won't need to dirty my hands myself, because I have a demon that lusts for blood. He's the son of a devil-really, he's more than a demon. He's powerful, even though he is still young. He will kill the heartblade master. He longs for it, actually." Doriko told him. Marucia glanced over at the mirror out of the corner of his blue eyes and saw a figure come up behind Doriko.It was still in shadow, but he could tell that it was a figure of small frame and stature, and a thin tail whipped around behind it.

"A devil's son? Sounds good. I like the sound of it already."

"Don't forget the other part of our deal."

"Believe me, I can't. Doriko, you're the type of demon that needs to devour pure things to sustain yourself. Not just for that reason-you thrive on drinking innocent blood and feasting on innocent flesh. The closer to the light, the better, and I'll tell you-Silvia is as close as you can get without burning." As Marucia described her, Doriko licked his lips and fangs hungrily, as if he could almost taste it.

"I'm so excited now, that I'm restless! Now, hand the shard to me, Marucia, and I'll start my work." Marucia stood and faced the mirror head on for the first time. He walked slowly, his powerful form gliding silently across the floor. He stopped in front of the glass and Doriko reached his hand through, fingers open, waiting for the fragment to be his.

"I wonder what you could want with Silvia's pure powers, though." He said as he dropped in into the demon's hand. He smirked, closed his fingers and claws around it, and pulled his hand back in the mirror.

"It'll come in handy soon. Right now I think I'm going to find a place to hide it. A place even you wouldn't look." He replied.

"With Silvia out of the way, everything is mine for the taking." Marucia declared. Doriko nodded and stepped back from the mirror. He turned to look at the figure behind him from over his shoulder. He nodded at the figure, and it darted off back into the darkness. He turned back to Marucia and smiled forebodingly.

"Thank you for your kind gift." He sneered and the image twisted around until all that was there was the reflection of the room. Marucia sighed and turned his back to the mirror. He smiled and said back to the mirror.

"I know you're still there. See if you can't do something about that troublesome, non-existing boy too. The one who sent that trinity solider here!" he smiled and then laughed haughtily as we walked out of the room and down the stairs.

----

_"You must find Hikari Tagami, and ask her about the whole truth. She's keeping things from us-things about what happened five hundred years ago. The keyblade and heartblade masters died, but why did they. And I also don't believe that the heartblade simply came from a little chip in the keyblade's side."_

Riku climbed the stairs to the next floor, keeping the king's words in mind. He had to admit that the king was right in some cases-the heartblade simply didn't just appear so easily. And what of the keyblade master five hundred years ago? And the heartblade master of that time? Why did they die, who were they, and why was Hikari not talking? These questions could only be answered once he found her, and Aru.

'Aru's going to see me a lot sooner than she thinks.' He thought to himself. He arrived in the hallway between basements seven and six, ready to face the next world of his memories, when he sensed a powerful aura-an aura of in-between.

'I've sensed this before. When I fought that copy of me…'

"Who's there?" he called out, whipping his head around wildly. "I can sense you, you know." He heard soft footsteps behind him and turned; his ice eyes wide. The half angel-demon stood in the doorway behind him. He had never actually seen it before, so he was taken aback by its appearance.

"You're the real one-what my master based his experiment on, correct?" it asked calmly. He was taken aback by its gentle, womanly voice.

"Yeah. I'm the real Riku."

"I see. But it doesn't matter to me who you are-I'm going to kill everyone in this castle."

"Why? I didn't do anything to you!" Riku exclaimed. It glared at him.

"I'm going to kill everyone in this castle. I've made my decision. Now, you can either fight for your life, or be killed swiftly and easily." It said, approaching him with extended nails. "This is my revenge on the world. For my cursed existence…"

"So you're just going to kill everyone, huh? Well, I'm not going die now-I can't! I have some things to do before then." He took out his Soul Eater and charged at it. It wasn't taken off guard for a second, andblocked with its nails, forcing him back. It went at him, but he pushed it away. The half angel demon thrust its nails forward and pierced his arm-five little puncture holes in a neat little row, blood trickling so delicately from them. It was enthralled by the sight of his pain, never had it felt like this-almost real, almost like it hadn't been created by Vixen. Riku winced in pain and pulled his arm away in an effort to get the nails out of his arm. They slid out painfully, but he suppressed the urge to yell. Instead, he went at it with his sword and sliced it twice across the chest, black liquid spurting out of the new wounds, though they were shallow. It struck back at him, sending five slashes across his face. He came back at it , but was blocked. He slid backwards from being forced back.

"So why exactly are you taking revenge on the world?" he asked it.

"Because my existence is not an existence of any kind. In fact, saying I'm non-existent is a compliment, because I'm not really that either. I'm nothing-I'm no even a true angel-demon. Half, they call me, half angel demon. I was artificially created." It explained as it launched an assault on him with its nails. "Always 'it'. They called me 'it' from the day I was born. No gender, no name. That's how it's been. Then, my master replaces me with your copy. I'm no longer his greatest experiment. At least back then, I had some sort of title!" He went to stab him with all five nails again, but Riku grabbed its wrist and pulled, throwing the half angel-demon to the floor. He stabbed one of its wings while it was down and it whimpered from the new pain. It reached up and grabbed Riku around the neck, though not tightly.

"You don't have to do this." Riku told it. "If you came with me, I could introduce you to the king and he could help you. Besides, just because you aren't physically a man or woman, doesn't mean you have to be called 'it' for all your life."

"You don't understand. There is no place outside this castle that I can live. There is no one who can except me. This is revenge. I'll kill you, then the organization, then my master. They all talk about me, saying how deformed and horrendous I am. I can't help it that I'm a sin. I can't…"

"That why I want to help you." Riku said. "So you don't have to feel like this anymore."

"It's too late for your pity." It spat. It looked up at him, glaring. "I'm going to kill you. I'll kill everyone in Castle Oblivion!" It tightened its grip and threw him to the wall. While Riku tried to get up, it extended the nails on its other hand and brought out its wind swords. Riku saw this sighed.

'I have no choice, it I want to live…' "DARK MODE!" He screamed. He let his darkness out and changed into his dark mode form.

"Now you really do look like your double!" The half angel demon spat, and came at him.

"Dark firaga!" he called, and shot the black fire at it. It staggered back and grimaced from the attack as it burned its skin slightly. Riku shot two more dark firagas at it, trying to keep the distance. It shook the attacks off and came at him. He ran at it with all his strength. "DARK BREAK!" he screamed, afraid that he really would die. He closed his eyes and went at it, and his fears were confirmed with an overwhelming pain.

He opened his one eye to find that ten of the twelve sharp edges wielded by the half angel demon had hit him all at once. His dark scarlet blood flowed silently to the floor, and he groaned in pain. It swung him off of its swords and nails and he slunk down to the floor. It was almost horrified by the sight, but it wasn't done there. In a mixed fit of rage and sorrow, it began stabbing him multiple times as he lay on the floor, forcing the swords into his body and pulling them out-repeating this cycle over and over again. One of the cuts became so deep that a bone could be seen-pale white…The half angel demon was almost entranced by it all. When Riku ceased to cry out, and when it seemed like he was just about dead, it picked him up by his hair and dragged him across the room to a mirror. He had changed back to his normal form now and was bleeding all over it. It sighed and forced his body through the mirror, dropping him on the other side.

----

Cedeile and 427 pushed open the heavy doors on the fourth floor and found themselves in an enchanted forest. Cedeile gazed in awe at her surroundings as the doors shut behind them.

"Wow...what is this place?"

"It's called Wonderland. You haven't been here before, but these are his memories, not yours."

"His? You mean Sora, when you say that...right?"

"Exactly." 427 responded. Cedeile smiled.

"So if we keep going onward, then we'll find him eventually. Good. Then I'll remember." She said. "I'll remember everything..." 427 looked at the ground. She knew what would happen when Cedeile remembered everything...she knew...

'You'll remember the person who'll cause you the most pain. And when you do...your heart will cry for death. Because of the pain you'll suffer. That's why I must tell you that...he-'

"427? What's the matter?" Cedeile asked, bursting into her thought train.

"Nothing. We must proceed, that's all. Come on." And she began to walk, brushing by Cedeile. Cedeile began to follow and they continued, until a strange sight appeared in front of them. A huge smile floated on a tree branch in front of them. Cedeile noticed it first and pointed.

"Holy freakin crap! What is that?" She yelled. Slowly, piece by piece, a large purple cat appeared.

"Ho ho ho, children who've come to the forest. Lost and can't find your way? It is I, the Cheshire Cat, the being who wouldn't mind pointing you in the wrong direction!" He told them, big eyes looking as though he'd overdosed on something.

"Great..."Cedeile said. "I'm looking for my memories. Got any suggestions?" She chanced sarcasticly.

"Seek where you wouldn't normally seek, look where you wouldn't dare look, and find what you weren't even looking for, and perhaps, over the bridge and round the bend, you'll find them!" He replied before giving a laugh and dissapearing. 427 nodded.

"What do you make of that one, Cedeile?"

"I think that I might remember something here, 427. So let's go off and search for crap we weren't looking for!" She declared as she ran ahead. 427 sighed.

"She really didn't get it after all..." And began to chase after her.

From the shadows in the trees above, someone was watching. He growled softly as the heartblade master ran by and cursed her existence in his head.

"Soon, you'll pay for what you've done to the demon race, heartblade master...your flesh will be in my teeth..."

----

6H: That's all you get for now.

Anaretsu: Damn.

6H: Hope it's getting better. Stuff is being pulled together and more new stuff is coming about. That pesky shard of Doriko's will be back...can't say how. The figure in the trees will be next chapter. Also next time-Riku and Aru meet again! What will happen?


	17. Floor 17:Remeeting

6H: Hello and welcome to chapter 17! Hopefully it'll have a point.

Anaretsu: You wish.

6H: Shut up! The questions you've been wondering about are anwsered! Will Aru remember Riku? Who wants to tear Cedeile apart? Is Riku dead? Who's the angel-demon's next target? And who is the person 427 doesn't want Cedeile to remember? Who did 427 make a promise with? Well...okay, maybe not all of them anwsered in _this_ chapter...but eventually!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 17-Remeeting

----

Cedeile and 427 walked along the flowered path, the heartblade master watching all the wonderous creatures pass by her, and 427 pressing onward with indiffrence. Cedeile noticed this and watched 427 for a moment as they walked. The pale haired girl stared straight forward with an intense expression.

"427? Why do you look so angry all the time?"

"Excuse me?" she replied, her amber eyes glancing towards her companion.

"Losen up a bit! Damn, life is too short to be grumpy all the time, you know? I used to tell that to Riku all the time!"

"Riku?"

"One of my friends..."Cedeile responded. "Well...friend is a weird way to say it. We fought all the time when we were little..."She stopped in her tracks. "I remember! There was this one time, when Riku made fun of me for falling out of a tree, and I punched him so hard, he was crying!" She laughed. "We couldn't have been more than five years old. He wasn't all out bawling, but you could see the tears. He got so angry that I made him cry,that when we went swimming later he held my head underwater until I nearly drowned! I was pissed, so we got into a huge fistfight...wow...I can see it all now...and someone towards the end held me back fromaiming a kick right at Riku's head. He...pleaded with meto stop...I can't remember who he was...another kid with us on the island..." 427gave a small-yet serious-smile.

"It's becoming clearer." she stated.

"Yeah. Alot clearer. I can clearly see Riku now...I remember...the day the island was destroyed...we lived on some islands...yeah! I lived in a place called Destiny Islands!"

"Ah...memories are like chains-once you remember one thing, many otherthings pop up along with it. Anything else?" Cedeile went silent and looked at 427 seriously.

"My...mom..." she replied. "427, since I started my first journey, I never once thought about what my mother must be feeling. She must be so worried about me. She must think I'm dead and not coming back..."

'No...she's so close to remembering him...and so soon...I didn't expect it. Next she'll remember that her mother was sad about something...his-'

"427? I asked if you think I'll remember more about myself soon. Is something wrong?" The heartblade master's voice cut through the Trinity solider'sfrantic thoughts like a knife.

"Um...yes. Let's keep walking, while you think some more..." she responded hesitantly. 427 did not want Cedeile to remember too fast. Theideas frombefore began to fly around her head again, each coming at her for a few seconds before another more desvesting thought replaced it. If Cedeile remembered and wished to die, then it might just happen. She let the black haired girl get ahead of her and watched her back, wondering what she exactly would remember next.With so few memories already known to her, there were millions of possiblities.

And there was one she wasn't liking too much.

----

The first thing that woke her was the coldness. Then the feeling of thehollowness of this place. At last, her mint green eyes came open, and she was met by darkness. The master magewasn't sure what had happened. Fire...a shadow in the flames...

That's right. She had been fighting Mint in the desert, which had bloomed into a field of flowers. Hikari had set the field on fire during the battle and went to find her glasses. Mint had appearedbehind her in the flames and the two had watched each other. The fire roared, preveting any words from being heard. Hikarihad just watched as Mint sunk back into the flames. And that was it. She remembered nothing else.

Now, there was nothing but darkness around her in all directions. It never seemed to end. An eternal void, like the one she had spent five hundred years in, her final resting place. A tear came to her eye as she remembered the fateful day when she died. When she had finally made it to End of the World, just after the worlds had broken apart, she sent the fragments that hadn't already been lost away and made sure they were scattered far apart, so that Silvia would be safe. She cried as she layed odwn in the darkness. Her injuries had taken over her...she needed rest, and she closed her eyes, and that was the end. She woke up when the nextkeyblade master was chosen, some fifty years later.

'An endless cycle...oblivion or light...it keeps going...' she thoughtwith dispare.

'Hikari?'A small voice asked her.

'Aru?' She brushed away the tears and sat upright. 'Are youalright?'

'Yes, I'm fine. Where are we though? What happened to the desert?'

'I don't know.' She replied, standing up. 'But keep a close eye and everything, Aru. Mint could be hiding in the darkness somewhere.' Hikari began walkingin a random direction and went deep into the darkness.

'You were sad before, Hikari.'

'No I wasn't.'

'But-'

"Knock it off, Aru." she said out loud, irritated. She didn't want to talk about her death. She didn't want to talk about the Disater of 500 years ago. She just wanted to get out of here. She wanted to get back together with Cedeile and Ryu and continue the search for Silvia. If Silvia were to be brought back...

'I feel it again. That immense sadness welling up in yoursoul...'

"Aru, would you please-!" Hikari was going to yell, but her foot stepped in something, and she heard a splash. She couldn't see anything. "Fire!" She yelled, and a flame sprouted in her palm. It was a dark, crimson black liquid that she had steppedin. Sheknelt down and stuck her index finger in it.

'What is it?' Aru asked. Hikari examined it closely.

"Blood." She whispered.

'Seriously! From what?' Hikari stood again and walked around the blood, looking on the ground ahead of her, until she saw ablack gloved hand. Aru gasped in Hikari's head. Hikari raised the flame higher to spread the reach of the light. Suddenly, the form of a silver haired boy was revealed, covered in blood. He was slightly breathing, but he would soon die. Hikarireleased the flames from her hand and used her magic tosplit it into six flames, and keep them all floating in the air. She bentdown slowly and gingerly lifted the boy and set him to lie on his back, resting his head on her lap. He had several seriously wounds, the most severe on his right side, where the cold white bones of his rib cage were showing. She sighedsadly.

'This poor child...what could have caused him such pain?' she asked herself. He stirred slightly and his eyelids lifted slightly, allowing the ancient mage to make out ice colored eyes. He moaned in pain.

"...A...Aru?" he got out before closing his eyes again and moaning once more in pain. Hikari gasped.

'Aru-do you know this boy?' Hikari asked the small mage.

'I...I can't remember! He doesn't seem famillar to me...we couldn't have met before.'

'Still...Why don't you come out and see how he knows your name.' She suggested. Before Aru could argue, she was back in control of the shared body. She looked down at the boy and moved his hair out of his face.

"Curaga..." she whispered softly, as not to disturb him. The healing light washed over him and cleared the blood away. The smaller cuts and wounds were healed imediatly, but the larger ones only healed slightly. Still, it was enough to save the boy from death. She sighed in relief when his breathing became normal and he seemed to gain strength. She stoked his pale face and tried to tame the sweaaty, matted hair.

"...Aru..." he whispered again.

"I'm here..." she anwsered unsurly. His eyes opened again as he leaned into her touch. He seemed to come back to reality and tried to jet up straight, but a severe pain stopped him. He layed back down and looked up at her.

"You really are here." he said, a serious gaze overhis face. He reached a hand up and touched the charm around her neck. "And you still have it." Aru wasn't sure how to anwser him.

"Who are you?" she finally asked. His eyes went wide and his hand dropped from her necklace.

"It's me, Aru...Riku! Don't you remember? You said that you'd wait forever..." he said, hopes falling.

"I'm sorry! I don't mean to disapoint you, but-"

"Why can't you remember?" he asked sadly.

"I don't know. We have met before,then?" she asked.

"Yes. Several times."She smiled sadly and dared to touch his cheek again. He smiled.

"The softness of your skin is famillar to me...just a bit. But...the face...I can't remember it." She paused. "What happened to you?"

"Bad fight. A fight I couldn't win." He responded.

"Why were you fighting?" She asked. He sighed.

"It's a long story. In short, I did something stupid...I opened myself to darkness, and now I am tainted by it. So I have vowed to fight the darkness and purge the world of it. In the end, I will kill myself...because I am the darkness that plagues me." Aru gasped and felt and insurmountable sadness, the same she had felt from Hikari's soul."My most recent battle was with a half-angel-demon. It won, I was no match for it." Aru went silent. She had nothing else to say to this person. She couldn't remember him, but he KNEW her, REMEMBERED her...it was was so odd.

Had someone been messing with her memories?

"Before, you touched my necklace. Tell me-did you give this chain to me?"

"I did." Riku told her. "So that you could protect my heart from Ansem. I gave it to you a long time ago, before I lost my body, before I lost everything..." And silence fell again. The two felt akward now. It was a strange feeling, and niether could shake it off. At last, Aru felt the need to speak.

"Are you alright? Does it hurt too much?" she asked, examining his whole body in the dim light. There didn't appear to be any open wounds at the moment, but she knew that cure magic wouldn't help the deep cuts.

"I'm fine." Riku replied, sitting up, but he flinched and grabbed his side suddenly. "Damnit!" he winced.

"Oh no! Your wound opened up again! Look!" She showed him where the blood was staining his shirt again. He touched it and winced again, breathing sharply.

"Damn it all!" he said quietly. Hethen heard an odd, ripping sound coming from behind him. He turned his head slowly and saw Aru working on something. "Aru?"

"Take off your shirt." She demanded. He blushed and turned all the way around.

"What the hell?" He replied in shock.

"I'm going to bandage your wounds. Magic can't help you anymore. Now just do everything I say, alright." He sighed and turned his back to her, obeying her comands. He carefully unzipped the front and threw it on the ground beside him.Aru placed several long, white strips of fabric on the ground beside him. He looked to see thatthey had ripped edges and then it clicked-they were peices of Aru's robe.

"Aru-!"

"Hush!" she said sharply, and he complied. He never howcomanding anddominating the small girl could be. Shepushed up her torns sleeves and began wrapping one of the makeshift bandages around him tightly. "Now, can you still move if it's this tight? Good. Stay still, Riku." He smiledwhenshe said his name. "My robe has magic properties woven into it. They should help heal you."

"Really?"

"As far as I know. And ifthey don't, at least they'll absorb the blood and keep you wounds from getting infected." she replied. She tied the final knot tightly and then brushed off her hands. "Finished. Watera!" she said, using the water to clean off her hands from the blood. "I noticed your blood seems rather dark for human blood." She mentioned, as she used and air spell to dry off her palms.

"...yeah..." he replied painfully. "Because I have so many sins." He grabed his shirt and pulled it back on. He felt his bandaged side under it and then stood up slowly, grunting from effort.

"Don't get up yet! You're still too injured to move. And those gashes-"

"It'll be fine." He replied. A black framed mirror suddenly appeared before them, showing the white room of Castle Oblivion on the other side. "I have to continue my journey." He looked back at her sadly. "The next time we meet, maybe you'll remember me then. Alright?"

"I'll try, Riku. Please...don't die." She begged. He smiled and nodded.

"I promise." He then turned his back to her and walked through the glass like it was water. Aru watched the reflection as it calmed down again.

'Hikari?'

'Hmm? Sorry, I was asleep. What is it?'

'What if we went to that place over there? Do you think we'd remember what we'd forgotten? Riku says I've met him before, but I can't recall ever seeing him.'

'So you think someone messed with our heads?'

'I do.'

'Then why not? I don't see the advantages of staying here.' Aru stood up and, like Riku, walked through the mirror to the other side.

----

Cedeile and Agent 427 had been walking for quite awhile when they happened upon a long table with many mismatched chairs set around it, and two people sitting across from each othertowards the head. The two figures looked at themstrangely.

"Sorry about this!" Cedeile said. "We got lost!"

"You might be lost, but I know perfectly well where I'm going." 427 hissed at her.

"Whatever! The point is that weintruded and-"

"Well!" saidthe Hare, "Don't just stand there! Come in, come in! We're having an un-birthday party!"

"Indeed, indeed!" The Mad Hatter added.Before the two girls could decline, they found themselves being ushered in. Cedeile was practically thrown in the head chair, and the Mad Hatter politely drew out ad chair for Agent 427. "Tea anyone?" He asked as he sat back down in his chair and took up a massive blue teapot thatlooked too heavy for any one person to hold.

"Sure, I guess." Cedeile said, and handed him her teacup.

"So, where are you lovely ladies from?" The hareasked Cedeile.

"Uh...I can't really remember my home well-I think it was an island."

"Islands are very nice! Never cold, never snowy, perfect weather, the ocean, the beach! Just fabulous!" The Hatter said as he handed Cedeile's cup back to her. He turned to 427. "What about you, madam?"

"No thanks." She polietly, yet cold.

"No no no! I insist!" The Hare said, and the Mad Hatter poured her anoverflowing cup.

"One, Two, or Five sugar cubes?" He asked. "Milk, cream?"

"No, I drink it black."

"But, 427...tea is brown." Cedeile said, confused.

"It's a freaking expression, Cedeile." 427 responded and watched in horror as half a bowl of sugar was dumped into her drink, curtiosy of the Hare. She lookedaghst at her drink. "Thanks...I think..."

"Well, I'll have sugar!" Cedeile said.

"Wonderful! It's so nice to have company, isn't it, Hare?"

"Indeed." He responded. "So nice. Hardly anyone passes through here, unless the Queen of Hearts is out looking for Alice."

"Alice?" Cedeile asked, dropping a sixth cube of sugar into her tea and stirring with abent spoon.

"Yes. That girl's nothing but trouble, I tell you. Kind of looks like you-except with yellow hair, and much shorter, and with a dress...in fact, she looks nothing like you!" TheHare said."Wouldn't you say?"

"Not even the opposite of her!" The Hatter responded."Which might be a good thing, because that Alice is a touble maker! Such a shame. We had her at our unbirthday party just before that boy with the key showed up."

"BOY WITH A KEY?" Cedeile yelled,sneding her cup flying off the table. "Was his name Sora?"

"Was that it?I thought it was Sky...or something to that effect..." The Hatter said. "More tea?"

"You bet!" Cedeile said, sitting back down in the comfy red armchair.

"How long ago was he here?" 427 asked.

"Not too long, if I remember right..." The Hare told her. "But he's gone now, along with Alice."

"What makes this Alice so bad?" Cedeile asked, sipping her tea. "Hey, 427, are you going to drink yours?"

"No." She said, and gladly handed Cedeile her cup.

"She is accused of stealing the Queen's memory!" The Hatter responded. "Just dreadful, really. Absolutely dreaful. She seemed like such a nice girl, too. What a shame...we did so like having her for tea."

"Did she do it?" Cedeile asked. "If she can take memories, maybe she took mine."

"Don't know if she really did, but if the Queen says she's quilty, then it's off with her head!" The Hatter replied.

"Damn! So if her head's chopped off, then I'll never know if she took my memory!" Cedeile punched the table with her fist and rested her chin in her hand.

"Maybe it wasn't Alice who took your memory." 427 responded.

"Yeah, you could be right. I mean, she is a princess of heart. I doubt she'd do something like that." Cedeile responded.

"Princess of-Cedeile, you just remembered something else!" 427 exclaimed.

"I did? Oh yeah, I did! The Princesses of heart! I do remember them! There was seven, but I can only remember...six. Who was the seventh?" Suddenly, a shadow jumped from a nearby tree and landed on the table. Everyone except Cedeile fell over in their chairs.

"Mercy!" The Hare exclaimed. The shadow turned out to be a tiger looking creature-he was a dull yellow color with sharp orange stripes down his tail and main body. His paws and claws were silver, with almost a metal like look to them. He also had huge fangs in his mouth, and his sharp cat like eyes were ruby colored, and looked straight at her with malice. His fur seem to have small sparkels in them as he lunged at her, running down the table and upsetting the china, knocking it to the ground. Around his heck seemed to be feather like appedages that had the same striped pattern as his body, and from behind them streamed out two long, ribbon like things that were also striped. He stopped right in front of the heartblade master and snarled his silver teeth at her. She sat frozen in her chair as 427 watched and their tea mates scampered off into the nearby house overlooking the garden. Cedeile swallowed hard as the creature snarled at her.

"Heartblade master...I've come to kill you...to avenge my queen!" He annouced.

"Who are you?" Cedeile whispered.

"I am Kageki, a tiger demon. And you are the one who killed Nabuki."

----

6H: Yes! Cliffhanger!

Anaretsu: Damn it. This chapter is freakin long!

6H: Yes, but it had point! And now chapter 18 will reveal even more, like who exactly Kageki is, why he's avenging Nabuki, and...I'm not sure what else...oh well, tune in anyway!


	18. Floor 18:Lost Blood! I Do Not Remember

6H:Welcome back my faithful readers!

Anaretsu: You don't have any!

6H:...Well screw you. I do to have faithful readers, and they won't like that you say stuff like that. Either way, it's CHAPTER TIME!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 18-Lost Blood! I Do not Remember the Face

----

"I am Kageki, a tiger demon. And you are the one who killed Nabuki."

It was impossible to move under that intense glare. It was as if those ruby eyes had a magic about them that casted a spell on her body. His silver fangs shone in the light, further showing the intensity he held. She could not remember a Nabuki that she killed. Cedeile couldn't run away. It was impossible. She was forzen with terror, but the feeling was famillar. But there wasn't time to think about that right now. Kaegki was ready to strike, and strike he did. He went to grab her throat between his teeth so that the death would be swift. He pounced down on her, sending the chair crashing backwards to the ground. She screamed at the impact and saw him come down for her.

"Cedeile! God damn, move!" 427 yelled.

Without putting any thought to it, Cedeile struck at Kageki's white underside with both legs and sent him flying back into the table, while she herself brought her feet over her head and flipped upright onto her feet, whipping out the heartblade. Kageki crashed into the table, breaking it into several pieces and sending splinters flying. He rebounded with quickness, not being phased at all. The two ran at each other, and Cedeile brought the heartblade down so that it left a long streak of cutting light down the ridge of his back. They passed by each other and each skidded to a halt. Cedeile smiled cockily to herself and turned to look at the damage she had inflicted.

Her eyes went wide. Kageki was standing there, watching her, perfectly unharmed. Her attack had not done a thing. He laughed.

"Pitiful. They told all sorts of stories about you. The one who fought Kana and lived, the one who killed Nabuki, the one who took the impact of two keyblades..." He said mockingly. "What an image they painted for me. But I see it was all a farse."

"I don't remember doing any of that stuff. I don't believe I killed Nabuki, but I'll defeat you either way, so I can remember!" She went at him again, but he was faster and grabbed the heartblade with his teeth. She struggled to get it free, but his grip was too tight. Glaring in frustration, she let go of it and jumped away, calling it back to her hand when she was a few feet away. It disapeared from his jaws and appeared in her hand.

"Ah. The power to call the heartblade to your hand whenever you require it. You can do that much at least." He scoffed. She flexed her fingers over the staff.

"You got your spit all over my heartblade. Now I'm starting to get pissed." She retorted. She gripped the weapon tighter and the two went at it again. This time, Cedeile went for the fake out and jumped over him, landing on his back. When he felt the pressure of her weight on him, he turned to try and strike at her, but she psuhed off of him and was out of his reach.

"You little-"

"HOLY PURIFICATION!" She yelled, and drew the light cross in front of her. It rained down on him, and even though he moved out of the way of a direct hit, the edge grazed his side and leg. He let out a roar of pain as she landed on a nearby tree branch. He didn't waste a second and ran towards her, leaping up onto the trunk of the tree and climb up towards her. "Gah! I didn't think you could climb!" She yelled as she jumped a few branches up. He persued, tearing at the bark, and when he reached the first strong branch, he began following much faster, his power body speeding upwards from branch to branch. Cedeile forced herself to go faster, and saw that, thankfully, the tree was rather tall, and kept going up, knowing he was not far behind.

Meanwhile, down on the ground, 427 had been watching them climb higher and higher. They were now a good halfway up the tree. She drew out her blade and looked one more time, before she dashed out of the garden and over the fence, into the forest. She circled around the tree a bit before she saw Kageki way up above leap to a nearby branch. It was going to start again.

Back in the air, Cedeile was freaking out. Kageki was now on the same level as she was in a nearby tree. He kept following her moves, seeming to know how she would move and when. She looked up above her and saw less leaves and branches, and then back at the demon persuing her.

"Crap! I'm running out a tree!" She yelled to herself. "Gotta think, you idiot!" As she jumped up to the next branch, she let herself fall. Kageki paused where he landed and looked down, then jumped to Cedeile's tree and followed her down. Cedeile landed on a branch, causing a few leaves to fall. She heard Kageki above her and flung several attacks at him, each of which he dodged. She ducked and rolled as he landed on the same branch. The two went at a nasty exchange. Cedeile tried to land an attack, but he would dodge it so easily that it was hard to aim. He camee up at her, his fangs beared-aiming for the vital spot on her neck, but she put up her arm to block it. She cried out as his sharp teeth meet her flesh. He pulled his teeth away quicky and blood flowed from the new wound. They were deadlocked in a standstil for the moment, watching each other-Kageki was ready to counter any move Cedeile made.

"Did that hurt?" He taunted.

"Yeah." She answered, clenching he teeth to block out the pain.

"Excellent. I want to do this quick, since you aren't worth my time, but since you're being so stubborn-" She quickly moved passed him and the to next tree, blood flying out behind her. He growled and took up the chase once more. She went over a few trees and then dropped down a few levels with him almoston her heels. She went up and then right and up again, thinkingshe'd lost him, but he swerved around the tree trunk in front of her. She yelled and ducked down, falling quite a way until she slammed down on a branch. She felt the shock in her ankles and figuredher left one had recieved a nice sprain, at least. Ignoring it, she leaped to the next tree as Kageki landed on the branch with a heavy thudand it snapped a few moments later. She continued forward and upwards, then downwards and swerved left, and then down another tree. She couldn't hear where he was-she didn't even know what had happened to him.

Soon her curiosity was anwsered as he came in front of her and tackled her into the thick tree trunk. She slammed into it and the wind was knocked out of her, freezing up her body with pain. She fell forward onto the branch and laid there prone, trying to recover from the blow. He laughed.

"Pitiful humans. You have always feared and craved our powers since the creation of the worlds as one world, but time after time, your fears have come true and your desires have never been met. Tell me, how does it feel to know your lowly place in life? Even as the heartblade master, you aren't worth any demon-even one of the lowest demons is not equal to you. Yet humans have always held it as their right to force us away and use our powers as a reason for us to be evil." He said, slowly coming closer.

"Not all humans...are like that..." she wheezed out.

"Don't be a fool. Perhaps not all demons run to embrace of the devil, but not all humans are saints either. I do not believe that there is any such human, or even angel, who shows any sympathy towards a demon, even if they are not the evil they are made out to be." He was right over her. She looked up slowly with dark emerald eyes, with a look of sympathy. She pushed herself up into a sitting postion, with both legs wrapped around the branch for balance, and looked right at him.

"You made me remember something that happend to me not too long ago. I went to a world with many books...Book City...yeah, that's what it was called. And in this world was a half demon named Kana. She had killed all the Book Masters, and my friends Tifa and Yuna were the only ones left...and Kana wanted to kill Yuna...I think it was something to do with Kana's father. Yeah...Kana's father was a human, and he abandonned her when Kana's mother died. She was completely alone for years, left with the pain of knowing her own father tried to kill her. She was in so much pain..."

"So you slaughtered her anyway, because you viewed her as evil?" he spat with an uppity tone.

"No! I...wanted to win, so I could save that world, but...part of me wanted so bad to help Kana. In the end, I couldn't though. She was killed by a figure with wings and an innocent smile." She finished. "The point is, that opened my eyes. Demons aren't really so different from humans."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" He questioned.

"Hear me out!" She pleaded.

"You're just scared to die. You killed Nabuki, my queen who I served faithfully. Why can't you just face your crimes, and pay the price for you sin!"

"So what if I'm scared of death? Aren't you? What if I killed you? Then what? I bet you're scared to die too!" She yelled. "And there's nothing wrong with that. Kana was scared to die too. I understood somewhat, why she was so angry. She was alone and had suffered with so much pain. She wanted to be accepted by someone, but as a half demon the humans nor the demons would accept her. I may be crazy-heck, I almost remember someone telling me I was-but I wanted to bring Kana back to life at the end of my first journey so I could show her another chance to live. I want to let all demons who don't want to evil that there is at least one human who wants to understand them and won't just slap a label on them."

"There is no such human. It's because the demons stand in darkness, and the humans are bathed in the light, like those holy angels that scorn us and banish us to the most barren places in the far corners of the universe. If the angels, who supposedly 'love all' turn away, then who can understand us?" He demanded, almost vainly. Cedeile sighed and looked up at him sadly.

"As the heartblade master, it's up to me to purify the heartless, or whatever. And I've seen that the demons are having as much problems with the heartless as we are. I don't care about angels, and the devil can go screw himself, but I know that I'm the one who can bring back everyone. I'm the one human who can love all."As she said this, the heartblade glowed mysteriously in her hand and it spread to her entire body. "Kageki, I believe that you're on of those good demons like Kana."

"Don't lump me with a half demon."

"Who cares? You're both those good demons who are living with so much pain. Why are you hurting, Kageki? Why?" She reached out for him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He stiffened as he felt her light pentrate his body and drive out the darkness that had been placed within him.

"Nabuki...when she first came, she slaughter one thousand demons in one stroke. These were the higherup demons-the real ones. That's how she rose to be queen. The rest of us were either too scared ortoo frightened toresist.She had so much power that I dared not go against her. She was pleased with my loyality and appointedme to be her personal guard.Usually, she seemed so cold and comanding, but there were moments when she seemed sad, like a human, and so vunerable, like a child. As I protected her, I grew to want to be loyal to her and serve her. She kept the demons under control and kept us somewhat together, even if most of us didn't own anyone loyalties. But when Nabuki was killed, everything went to chaos. There was much fighting in such a short time. Many were dead, and the devil ate their corpsesevery night and laughed. The...another powerful demon came. He was Doriko, and had been one of the ones whohad want to do away with Nabuki, but was never powerful enough to."

"Then what happened?" She asked.

"He still wasn't very powerful, and it wasn't power that made him king of the demons.He had with him the devil's son.That child was pure evil-he was more than just a demon. He was the one who raised Doriko to the throne, and the chaos didn't stop after that. Doriko was only interested in his own power-even now he seeks for more. And he'll keep killing us all off until he and that devil are the only ones left."

"And you're still loyal to Nabuki."

"She at least brought some order to the demons,even if it was through deplorable methods. Doriko is not doing a thing."

"But what would killing me change?" Cedeile asked. "Wouldn't Nabuki still be gone if I was killed?"

"Doriko told me you killed her. I only want you dead." he responded. He noticed something hanging out of one of her pockets in her shorts. It was something white...

The glow ceased and Cedeile released him, looking back up at his ruby eyes. "Don't listen to him. I don't believe I killed Nabuki, but I'm not sure. You see, all my memories were taken from me. Slowly, everything has been coming back, but...there's so much I don't know." She stood up, making sure not to fall off the branch. "I don't think we have to fight. The only person I'm chasing after right now is Sora, and someone I know I must fight is Axel, but it's not nessicary for you and me to beat each other brains out." She sighed and suddenly fell off the branch. Kageki jumped down and caught her on his back before she hit the next branch down. He looked back at her-she was out cold. Without a word, he began the trip down to the forest floor.

----

427 had lost track of Cedeile and Kageki a while ago, but she really hadn't been trying too hard to find them. She had taken to wandering aimlessly around Wonderland without really meaning to. What was it about this castle? It seemed to bring back memories she had supress-the ones she gave up when she sold her name to the Trinity Soliders.

Her world, the place she was born, had been called Blue City. It was a massive metropolis-bigger than any other in the universe, probably. Huge plasma screens on the silver and gold cololusses, within them so many buisnesses and commercial and industustrial activities going on all at once-cars and roads that were suspended in the air, the cable train that rode above the entire city-the level upon level of city life that existed all at once.

The person she had once been must've been so sheltered. She had lived her life in one particular building-the tallest of all them in the entire city-Trinity Solider Headquarters. Her father had been the head of the Trinity Soliders, and she had been free to live in a blissful and ignorant dream. Mac and her had been friends, and there was some girl that was now dead that she also had been with sometimes. The city was theirs to traverse how they please.

She had been on top of the world. Then she fell.

The heartless had come suddenly. Over seventy percent of the entire poluation died in the attack. Another ten percent got seperated from them. The rest escaped, trying to find a place where they could rebuild again. They went to Oblivion Mountain.

And then she hit bottom.

Her sister Sakura had taken comand, since their father had died in battle. Then she took responsibilty into her own hands. She sold her name and became Agent 427. Nothing more than a number. She went into the NEO zone, just beyond the darkness, and saw all the NEOs that needed help. Some had lost bodies, some their souls, but most had lost their hearts. Their bodies and souls had come there, and their hearts were trapped within heartless who were off somewhere far away, reeking havoc on another world.

Then she met him. And she rose up, just a little bit.

What had it been about him? His innocent eyes that seemed to have their own glow in the darkness? That he was so young? That he wanted so much to help someone? She saw him on her first expedition into that place, and couldn't stop thinking about him. He had found himself a spot in her mind. So she went back, alone, and found herself lost in the darkness. The others had reached out for her, cried out for help. She had been afraid, and screamed out, but he came, like an angel, swooped down from above, and brought her to an empty place. That was how they met. He was missing his heart, but he still had human feelings. He was kind, he could cry, he could laugh. But he couldn't leave that place. And he told her that he had to. He wanted to let his family know he wasn't dead. He was non-existant. He was alive...somewhat.

_"You promise, right? You'll tell her everything for me."_

_"Promise you'll never join the Trinity Soliders, okay?"_

_"...I promise."_

A promise lost and a promise gained. This time, she would stay true to her word. She promised him, after all. The person most important to her, just as she was to him. He told her that, and she had given him what seemed like a smirk and nodded knowingly. They had a bond-they made a contract.

Suddenly, she snapped out of her reverie as Kageki landed in front of her with Cedeile on his back. He looked at her sternly, and she showed indifference. That's what she honestly felt right now.

"You didn't kill her?" 427 asked.

"She told me she didn't kill Nabuki." He replied.

"Forget that. She did kill Nabuki. I know she did." 427 saw the white ribbon hanging out of Cedeile's pocket.

----

"Another rat from the dream castle." Lakchine said, bored. "They're annoying."

"It's one of the heartblade master's friends." Axel said. "This should be good."

"What makes you think that?" she asked. He shrugged. Marucia suddenly barged in.

"Well well, Marucia. You seem like the sky fell on your head. What's gone wrong now?" Axel said, smirking. Marucia shot him a fierceglare.

"There is a demon in the castle!" Marucia yelled. Axel and Lakchineexchanged confused glances, and then looked back at the man in front of them.

"And...?" Axel ventured.

"He's with the heartblade master. He's...protecting her." He said with disgust."Get rid of him!"

"Gladly. I've beenthristy for battle." Lakchinereplied,revealing her knives and licking the edge of one joyfully.

"No way! Besides, Marucia was looking at ME when he said that. That clearly means I should go and get rid of the demon!" Axel yelled at her.

"You've already had your fun with her! It's my turn to meet the heartblade master!"

"Screw you! I'll play with her as long as I want!"

"That demon won't kill itself! One of you, I don't care who, go KILL IT!" Marucia exploded. He stormed out of the room, just as he had come. Lakchine and Axel looked back at each other.

"Alright. Rock, paper, sisscors for it." Axel said, and she agreed. Unfournuatly, she also lost, which meant it was Axel who was charged with the task of killing the demon protectingthe heartblade master.

How fun this would be...

----

6H: KH 2 is out!

Jack and other people: YAY!

Anaretsu: Yeah, in Japan!

Jack and other people: awwwww...

Jack: WHY?

6H: The internet is not a safe place for us...spoilers...please, if you have any love in you, do NOT give me any spoilers from the game. I don't wanna know BHK's name till I play it! I don't wanna know ANYTHING!

Anaretsu: Spoliers will be thrown at preppy people.

Jack: So even though that would be fun, don't, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THING LIVING, don't send any!

6H: Butlease a spoiler free review by clicking down below! YAY!


	19. Floor 19:And So I Will Remember You

6H: Sorry for the long time between updates. Good news is that it's time for another chapter.

Anaretsu: Wonderful. I'm so excited.

6H: Aw, shut it! Anyway, the net has become an unsafe place for me. Too many KH2 spoilers….brrrr.

Anaretsu: So?

6H: Idiot! I wanna have some reason to play the game don't I? Anyway, here's chapter 19.

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 19- And So I Will Remember You

----

The three of them left the fourth floor without any problem after Cedeile woke up. Of course 427 and Kageki hadn't said a word about Nabuki since the fight had ended. The walked through the doors on the fifth floor and found themselves in a spongy, colorful room.

"God, it smells like someone took a crap in here!" Cedeile complained.

"They do say that smells help you remember better. Do you remember being here?" 427 asked.

"Not really…I went here of all places? Damn, what is this weird place?"

"The inside of Monstro the space whale." Kageki answered, walking up beside her. Cedeile reached over and petted his golden fur.

"I'm so glad that you decided to come with us, Kageki! It'll be more fun now that me and 427 aren't alone anymore."

"Of course. I will go with you for as long as you need me." He responded. Cedeile laughed.

"Don't be so formal. We're all friends, right?" She replied and looked back and forth between them. 427 looked away awkwardly and Kageki didn't give an answer. "Come on, guys. Don't be like this!" Not getting any sort of reaction out of the two of them she frowned and turned around, walking off with her eyes closed and hands folded behind her head. "You're all so boring and serious! Gah, I can't wait to get out of the stupid castle and meet some normal-HOLY CRAP THIS WATER IS COLD!" Cedeile had just walked straight into a lake-like gathering of water and was now standing knee deep in it.

"That's why you should watch where you are going." 427 said with no apparent emotion. Cedeile pouted at the both of them and crossed her arms.

"Screw you both. I hate you guys. At least you don't call me stupid all the time like…ah…I can't remember his name or his face…or if he was real…" Cedeile let her arms drop to her sides and looked down at the water for a moment, thinking. Then she turned and began walking towards the deeper parts of the pool.

"Cedeile?"

"Who? Who is that person you were talking about?" Kageki asked, daring to come to the water's edge. Cedeile stopped when the water began licking at the bottom of her red shorts. She concentrated hard, letting her fingers brush the cold surface.

"I can't remember. I don't think he was…"

_"This is all stupid." _

_"Like I want to sit in freezing cold water all night with you." Cedeile retorted. She threw off her red jacket and took off her own gloves._

"_Look at me. Please."_

_"You think you know me, but you really don't." he said softly._

"I remember…I was here. With someone…and we were in the water together…but I can't see his face. I don't remember his name. Just the words we exchanged, and strange feeling inside…" Cedeile looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Damn. Who ever took my memories must be getting a kick out of watching me struggle like this."

"She remembered something else." Kageki said to the mysterious girl beside him.

"She has. She's getting so much closer to learning everything."

_"Don't use that name. When you say it like that, it sounds so sharp and angry." _The voices of memory in her head faded away like an echo. She sighed and turned back to them.

"Ah well…I guess that's all I get to remember for now."

----

The three managed to cross the water and end up on the opposite shore, where they found an old boat wreckage resting. They climbed aboard and were startled to find an old man and small, animated puppet there.

"Holy crap!" Cedeile exclaimed.

"Oh, more visitors." The old man said. "Are you friends of Sora?"

"Sora? He was here?" Cedeile exclaimed.

"So you do know him? Oh, my apologies-my name is Gepetto, and this little one here is Pinocchio."

"Hey there!" Pinocchio replied. "So you guys know Sora too?"

"Not really. I'm looking for him so he can help me remember." Cedeile explained.

"Hey, who's that guy? Is he your pet kitty? He sure is big!" He whispered, pointing at Kageki, who was sitting on his paws like a normal cat.

"He's my friend. His name is Kageki, and he's a tiger demon." Cedeile explained.

"What's a demon?" Pinocchio asked. "I've never heard of them."

"Well…they're creatures with special powers." Cedeile explained again, looking over at the demon of which she spoke. He looked back at her and nodded.

"Anyway," 427 said, getting everyone back on track, "how long ago did Sora pass through here?"

"Not long ago, actually. If you hurry, you could probably catch him." Gepetto said. "Hmm…you in the red…"

"Me?" Cedeile asked, confused."

"Have I met you before? You seem awfully familiar. Have you ever been here before?" Cedeile looked at him, wondering what to say. Slowly, she smiled and responded-

"Yes. A long time ago. Good to see you again. I'm Cedeile, remember?"

----

"Yeah! Sora went this way!" Pinocchio pointed to a door across the room. "Be careful. There are these dark monsters he called heartless everywhere. That's why father says I can't go there."

"This is fine. Thanks a lot, kid." Cedeile said. They all gave their goodbyes, and the three went forward to the next room.

"Cedeile… why did you say you knew Gepetto. I could see it in your eyes that you didn't really remember him when you first saw him, and the tone in your voice sounded unsure." Kageki said. Cedeile thought for a moment.

"Well...I did remember him a little. I remembered being on that boat inside of Monstro and talking to him. I don't really remember what about, but I do remember it. And I remember walking around here. But then I go blank. Something happened here…" She went silent, but didn't have much time to think-they were ambushed by a whole army of heartless-Shadows and Searchlights. They all set out, taking them down. Kageki pounced on one and shredded it apart with his claws and grabbed another one with his teeth. Cedeile swung her heartblade in an arc hit many shadows with the wave of light. One came at her but she kicked it hard in the head and slashed the heartblade across it, purifying it immediately. One hit her from behind and she fell over, the heartblade sent flying. This seemed familiar.

427 took out her short double bladed sword and ripped through several of them. Things were going fine for her, until one unexpectedly came at her and bit her arm. She cursed sharply and flung it off of her. She looked at her arm to see the damage, but suddenly it began to fade in and out of focus.

"Damn! Not now! Of all times-" Another came for her but she cut it in half with her sword. She looked over at Kageki and Cedeile. Cedeile seemed to have lost her heartblade, but otherwise she was fighting them off well with her fists and kicks. "She'll be alright. Right now, I need to talk to Mac." And she ran off towards the door to the next room.

Cedeile kicked another back into the crowd of heartless that was closing in on her. She punched another one as it came at her and her fist went through its soft head. She remembered this desperate feeling of having to fight without her weapon. What was it from…?

Her mind was blank for a moment, then it hit her at full force and she finally remembered that she could call the heartblade back to her hand. She extended her palm out and brought her fingers in slowly as the heartblade's metal rod materialized in her hand again. She charged right in the heartless crowd and released her full force.

'Yeah, I remember now-Riku was possessed by some evil force connected to the heartless, and he kidnapped me while I was in the world. He wanted me to give the heartblade to him, but I refused, and we fought. Then the heartblade snapped in two…'

_"How would you know about oblivion...especially my own!" he cried. Cedeile finally gave in and fell to the ground, a terrible cracking sound filling the air. She looked at her Heartblade, which happened to be in two pieces in her hands._

"I remember! And you heartless aren't gonna get in my way!" She yelled. "HOLY PURIFICATION!" She screamed and took out the rest of the group around her. Kageki grabbed another shadow by the neck and swung it around until it's head and body separated and it disappeared. He ripped through a few more and then they were all gone. The two panted heavily from their hard battle. Kageki walked over to her and she leaned on his back, keeping herself upright.

"Are you alright, Cedeile?"

"Yes…I'm okay. I'll be okay…" she said between breaths.

"Where is Agent 427? I haven't seen her for a little while now." Cedeile looked up and looked around the room. The pale haired girl was no where in sight.

"That's odd. She was fighting right here with us. I didn't see her leave…Kageki! You don't think she was taken by the heartless, do you?" Cedeile exclaimed with worry.

"I doubt it. I think we would've noticed if something like that happened. Let's see if she got forced into the next room, alright?" He asked. Cedeile nodded and hoisted herself onto his back. "What are you doing? Do I look like a free ride?"

"Yeah. Now onward!" She demanded.

"I'm no one's horse, Cedeile."

"Alright, alright. Just let's go. I'm too tired to go on for now."

"Hmph. And this is the heartblade master? So much for the mighty savior of the universe." He grumbled as the two walked on.

----

427 grabbed her arm tightly and looked down at it as it fizzed in and out like a fuzzy television signal. She gripped her fingers into her palm and cursed. This had to stop now. She couldn't afford this to happen.

"I'm sorry, okay 427? How was I supposed to know that would happen?" Mac's voice said in her ear.

"Yeah, yeah. Just fix it already." She demanded, angrily.

"Five seconds is all I need." He replied. The line went silent and within the promised time, her arm became solid again. She flexed her fingers and turned her wrist.

"Thanks Mac." She said and pushed off of the wall she'd been leaning on. Suddenly, she heard Kageki and Cedeile's voices coming towards her.

"Get off, you lazy idiot." Kageki could be heard saying.

"I'm tired. That was a hard battle."

"It was an easy battle and you're not even injured." The two came into view and 427 began to move towards them.

"Hey look! It's Agent 427!" Cedeile pointed at the girl moving towards them. "What happened to you? We thought you'd been taken by the heartless or something!"

"You thought that, Cedeile." Kageki added.

"Whatever. He's just being grumpy." She propped herself up on her elbows, which she rested on his head.

"Sorry about that. I should've said something, I guess." 427 responded.

"Are you okay? You're not injured or anything?" Cedeile asked. 427 shook her head, hiding her one arm behind her back.

"I'm fine. Really. You don't have to worry about me. Are they all gone?" She asked.

"Yeah. And guess what? I remember more stuff! About the time I was here and all. Isn't that great?" 427 sighed and looked at the ground.

'That's another step closer to remembering him…'

"427? Are you okay?" Cedeile asked, worried. 427 looked up and saw concerned emerald eyes looking back at her. She tried to show that she was happy and attempted a smile.

"Yes. That's great. Soon, I'm sure you'll remember everything." She responded, while she gripped the hand behind her back into a fist. 'Why? Why did I make that promise? This is more painful than I thought it would be.' Cedeile smiled but then her smile fell strangely and she sat upright, looking around.

"Do you sense more heartless, Cedeile?" Kageki asked.

"No…" Cedeile said. She slid off of his back (much to his relief) and stood on the ground, looking about the room as though trying to remember. 'I can almost make out a voice calling for me…a small voice…someone I was friends with…'

_"Move Cedeile!" _

_"That boy...his name is...Riku?"_

_"Cedeile, there isn't much time! Listen to me! Within that circle is a double hexagram spell being activated by the fragments. You have to release the seal on the power within that circle and blast Mindy with it. She's been infused with a dark power, and this will hopefully knock it out of her."_

"_I am Aru, a magician from far away. I just got to Traverse Town."_

"Aru! How could I forget? Of course-my friend, Aru!" Cedeile exclaimed. She looked back at her two companions. "I remembered Aru. Where is she?"

"Aru?" Kageki asked.

"She's my friend. She's a mage with incredible magic powers. I can't remember why she has them. But on my first journey, she traveled with me. But where is she now?" 427 walked over to Cedeile and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll meet up with her again." She replied. "You'll see her again." Cedeile sighed and nodded, looking back at her.

"Yeah…I'm sure."

----

6H: End of this chapter! I think the story's finally moving just a little bit.

Anaretsu: If that.

6H:Shut up. Chapter 20 will come soon! I hope….


	20. Floor 20:The Snow at Destiny Islands

6H: So here I am with-Anaretsu, what are you doing over there?

Anaretsu: Watching the opening to KH2.

6H:WHAT? NO! LOOK AWAY!

Anaretsu: Ha ha ha….

6H: You are evil! Absolutely evil! Here's Chapter 20.

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 20-The Snow at Destiny Islands

----

The sky overhead was a cloudy gray-almost as though it could rain. The ocean was a darker gray, and the currents were picking up, even though the wind was smooth. Riding over the waves was a small, wooden boat, with two girls seated comfortably inside. The one girl who was sitting had short red hair, whose tips were almost licking her shoulders. Her kind blue eyes looked at the waves as she said something to her companion, the girl rowing. This one had dark indigo hair, straightly cut in a boyish style. Her eyes were a blue-violet color like the night sky. She laughed over something her friend told her as she pulled the oars, propelling the boat forward.

"How long has it been?" the indigo-haired one asked.

"It seems so long ago…that the four of us were together." the red haired one replied. "Even though it's only been a week at most. Maybe two. I don't know. Without them around, I've lost track of time. It seems like an eternity."

"I know, Kairi. I feel like I've been on the island forever too, you know? And we're already such good friends." Kairi-the red haired girl-turned and looked at her friend.

"Thanks, Karri. I feel better with you here. Now I'm not totally alone."

"No problem. I don't know anyone else on the island either, since my parents and I just moved here. But it's so weird how everyone thinks we're twins or something. We don't really look alike, do we?" Karri asked. Kairi thought for a moment.

"Well…maybe we look alike a little…" The two looked at each other and started laughing.

Suddenly, Kairi felt something fall on her shoulder. She looked up and watched the sky.

"Kairi?" Karri asked as she stopped the boat. Kairi held onto the sides of the small craft as she slowly stood up, making sure that she didn't send the whole boat flying over. "What's the matter? You're really starting to scare me…" Then she saw it-little white specks slowly falling-just one by one at first, but then more came. She held her hands out to catch them. Could it really be?

"Snow?" Kairi said. Karri held out a hand too.

"That's funny. It's getting colder, but still-it's not the season for snow. It isn't even cold enough for snow." Kairi looked around the ocean and then something caught her attention.

"Karri! Look over there!" She pointed towards a solitary island. It was not the kid's island that she and her friends had spent many summers playing on in their childhood.

This island was like a flat table that rose up from the water. There were no trees or beaches on this island, just tall grasses on it's steep sides and a solitary dock at the base of a long staircase made of stone, at the top of which stood a proud, metal gate.

"What is that place?" Karri asked. A huge wave crashed into the side of their boat and the held tightly onto it to prevent themselves from flying out.

"It's the cemetery island. Look-the clouds are parted over it. How strange…"

"So it's like a huge graveyard?" Karri asked.

"Yes." Kairi replied. "Come on! Let's head over there. Something's not right!" The other girl nodded and steered them over toward the cemetery.

----

The rough waves nearly sent them crashing into the small dock at the base of the stairs. Karri quickly tied up the boat and bounced out after Kairi, who had gotten a head start up the stairs. They were steep, and there was no railing to hold on to. The snow fell silently all around them, and formed a thin dusting over the grass. A sea breeze flew up at them, giving them both shivers.

"Why do you think the clouds are parted here?" Karri asked.

"Who knows? Maybe we'll find out." Suddenly, Kairi stopped, and Karri hadn't been paying attention and crashed into her.

"Kairi! Please warn me next time!" She said. Kairi turned back to her.

"Karri, wait here for a second, okay? I'm sensing a very strange aura."

"Huh? How come I can't sense it?"

"I don't know, but it could be dangerous. Wait on the stairs for now, alright?" Karri looked at her exasperated, but then gave in with a sigh.

"Alright. Call me if anything happens, though. Don't think I can't take something on because I don't have the same powers you have." Kairi nodded and continued upwards to the foreboding gate.

She found herself looking over the vast graveyard that was locked in stillness. She had never been to this island before in all her time living here. She had heard from Riku and Sora that people didn't go there often either and that there were all kinds of ghosts and such that came out at night. Cedeile, however, never liked to talk about the cemetery island-every time they brought it up she walked off by herself.

"Yeah. Around the same time every year, Cedeile disappears for a while. One year I saw her family and her get into a boat and row over that way." Sora told them.

"_Every year?" Kairi asked._

"_Yeah. Only for a day or so. And Cedeile never says a word about it. I gave up asking." Sora replied._

"_I bet it's got something to do with her brother. The one that died, remember?" Riku chimed in._

"_A brother?" She questioned. But neither would talk about it more._

It had always been that way. Cedeile had a brother who was buried here. She wondered how old he'd been, what his name was, why he died, but she had never asked Cedeile, for fear of hurting her. Sora had said that after it happened, Cedeile became very reclusive and depressed-that she was never the same again.

But Kairi was stopped dead in her tracks. Standing in front of a grave was a short figure dressed in all black. A hood covered his head and concealed most of his face-only his pale lips and chin could be made out. He was completely still, and the light seemed to focus on him. She wondered if she should walk forward, and while she was still debating it, she dared to take a few steps. She paused, thinking that she could still turn back, but went forward again, slowly. The snow fell around her silently and no wind blew. Everything was still.

She stopped next to him and looked at the ground before daring to look over at him. She couldn't find any words to say to him. Now that she was closer, she found that he looked to be her age or younger. The bottom half of his face that was visible looked innocent and gentler-he was less intimidating up close. Although she wasn't as afraid now as before, she still felt a little uncomfortable. He had a strange aura around him-not light or darkness. In-between perhaps?

"Who are you?" She finally was able to ask.

"A mere shell of what was." He answered without turning to her. His voice sounded young-he was just a child, not too much younger than herself.

"What do you mean by that? A shell?"

"I do not exist, because I lost my heart, but my soul and body are still intact." He explained.

"An incomplete trinity…" she said, just above a whisper.

"So you understand that kind of thing? I only thought the masters and the trinity soldiers knew." He replied.

"I do know a little about it. I'm…" she was about to tell him about being a princess of heart, but common sense stopped her. He could be with an enemy trying to use her to find rakuen.

"Yes. I can tell you are special. No sense in hiding it. I already knew before coming here that you were the one with the white rose…but now that I'm here, I can feel that you do not have it yet." He turned to face her at last. Kairi gasped.

"The white rose? Wait; are you here to take me? You are trying to find rakuen, aren't you! I'll stop you! I won't let you find it!" she yelled, taking a few steps away from him.

"You're mistaken, princess. I have no such grand desire to go to paradise. All I want is to find my heart." He explained. "Please…don't be afraid of me. I am your friend, or I wish to be."

"How can I trust you?" She glared at him hard, determination welling up in her soul.

"I'm closer to the masters then you think." He replied. "I am tied to them. And I am on their side." He took a step closer, but Kairi turned to shield herself. He stopped advancing. "You don't know me. You weren't here at that time."

"What time?"

"Princess, I must warn you. Your mirror image will be taken from you, and your shadow will turn against you, but you must stay strong. That is all I can offer."

"Mirror image? Shadow? What are-"

"The one who has the white rose has come back, princess, but she still sleeps. As long as she sleeps, the universe is safe. But most likely she'll awaken, and then disaster will start to happen. You are the link to her. If you are ever given the chance to awaken her, do not do it! No matter what anyone does or says, you cannot awaken her. They believe that your shadow alone possesses this skill, but she does not. Only you can awaken her, and it won't take them long to figure that out."

"But-"

"Please shut up! Listen to what I need to say, Kairi!" He yelled. She stared in shock at him and he sighed. "I'm sorry. Now, where was I? Yes, you cannot wake her up, no matter what they do. And also this-shadows from the past will come back again. One of them will never show herself, and one will try to destroy Sora. This one will try to prevent Sora from sealing the sleeping one away again, but you must make him seal her away. No matter what, Kairi, you have to. Be careful of the white witch in the white castle, because she will try and make you forget. If everyone around you forgets Sora and Cedeile, you must not. Remember them, no matter what. Do you promise?"

"…Yes. I promise."

"To everything?"

"Yes. But how do you know all this? Can you see our future?" She asked, desperate and afraid. All these things were to happen, but it didn't seem like it could be possible. He laughed innocently.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Princess. I was only told this by someone-a small girl who can see the future. She is in hiding right now."

"What's her name?"

"I can't tell you. The heartless are searching for her. They want to kill her."

"Why!"

"Because someday, she will become a keyblade master. She's only a six year old kid now, but her time will come when she will take up the keyblade: the keyblade of non-existence. And because of what she will do, and what she knows."

"Another keyblade master? Where is she?"

"I can't tell you that either. I'd put her in more danger. But she knows of what is to come. In one year, this will begin to unfold. That was all she told me, I'm afraid. I know it's not much, but that's all she told me." He replied sadly.

"But who are you? Or who were you? And how do you know Sora and Cedeile?" Kairi asked, daring to step closer to him.

"That I'm going to keep a secret. The heartless are after me, too." He said with a kind smile. "But I'm sure I'll meet you again."

"When?" she asked.

"I can't say for sure. About a year from this day. You, your mirror image, the masters and myself-we'll all be there together. So stay strong until then." She smiled and nodded slowly. He smiled back and then looked over to the headstone from before. "I have to ask you one last favor, Kairi." He said.

"Sure. What is it?" she said.

"This one is personal. I need you to tell Cedeile…" He pointed at the headstone he had been pointing at before and told her fiercely, "Tell her this grave is empty!" He said it with such force Kairi had a hard time believing he was younger than her.

"I'll tell her, but-"

"She will understand. Don't worry about it. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. It means a lot to me. You have no idea." He said. "Thank you for listening."

"Thank you for telling me all this. But there is one thing I don't get-who am I not supposed to awake?" she asked.

"You already know. And when the time comes, you'll get it. I can't tell you directly, because I'm being watched, even now. They followed me, it seems."

"The heartless?"

"Not just them. Others. I've already said too much. When we meet again I'll explain myself."

"I believe you." She said suddenly, with an unknown calmness and softness, despite the tense conversation. He was taken off guard by her sincerity and went speechless. She could tell their conversation was ending. "What if Cedeile doesn't believe me?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"It's okay. She will. After all, she promised me." He replied. "Remember everything I told you?"

"Yes. I promise to try my hardest to do everything you told me to."

"Don't try. Just do it. It's very important. Hell, it's the whole universe on the line. You're the seventh princess-you can do it." She was about to respond when an earth-shattering scream broke the silence. Kairi turned her head towards the direction of the sound.

"Karri!" she cried, remembering her friend. She turned back to say goodbye to the figure, but he was gone. She shuddered-could he have been a ghost? No-that wasn't possible. But now, she had to get to Karri.

----

Kairi ran down the steep stairs to find Karri scrambling up them on all fours and screaming at something. Kairi ran down next to her and grabbed her shoulders.

"Karri! What's the matter?" She asked franticly. Karri pointed down the to dock.

"There was a man there, Kairi! He was coming towards me and reached for me! He even knew my name, and behind him was darkness!" she cried, tears flowing in streams from her dark eyes.

"What did he look like?" Kairi asked. The other girl shuddered.

"He wore red. That's all I remember. But he knew my name, Kairi. He called for me. 'Karri! Karri!" he said. 'Come with me!' He was so…I don't know! He didn't seem like a normal human like you and me." Kairi nodded and looked back at the dock where the man had appeared. Could the man have been Ansem? Why would he come here? Perhaps he had been after her, and Karri heard him wrong. Then again…

"Kairi!" Karri yelled. Kairi snapped out of her thoughts.

"Sorry. I was thinking. What is it?"

"You were gone for so long I was worried. What happened in the grave yard?" Karri asked, calming down.

"Come with me for a moment." Kairi said. The two girls walked up the stairs hand in hand and returned to the cemetery. Kairi led her towards the grave where she had met the figure. It was a marked by the uniform gray head stone of granite. Karri bent down and brushed off the dirt and grime off the stone so that it could be read. Kairi let herself drift back to her conversation with the boy. Her mirror image and her shadow would turn against her, and she had to remember Sora and Cedeile? It didn't make sense.

"Oh…poor kid. Looks like he was only about three when he died." Karri said suddenly. Kairi knelt down next to her to read the inscription. Her eyes went wide. Karri noticed that something was wrong. "What is it?"

"Karri…"she replied slowly. She turned to look at her friend, who was frightened by her sudden change of tone. "This grave…it's where Cedeile's brother is buried."

The two forgot to notice the snow had stopped.

----

6H: Mwuh HA HA! An excellent cliffhanger!

Anaretsu: Yeah…. no.

6H: You're probably like "Whoa! What was all that crap?" I tell you that this, of course, is the real Destiny Islands this happens on. I had this idea in my mind for awhile, and thought it might fit in nicely. It's a lot of setting up for KH2, so I hope that this will all make sense eventually.

Anaretsu: Knowing your luck it probably won't.

6H: Shut up! Anyway, I hope the story will get moving a little better from now on. Next chapter-Axel greets Cedeile and her group between the fifth and sixth floors, and someone won't see the next world alive. Sunday's my birthday so leave a review for me! heh heh


	21. Floor 21:Blades in Flesh

6H: And now it's time for chapter 21!

Anaretsu: Am I supposed to be excited now?

6H: I gave up trying to get you excited for anything.

Anaretsu: Nice. I'm going back on the net to look at more KH2 spoilers!

6H: NO! I swear, I will kill you if you watch the ending!

Anaretsu: I'm already dead, stupid.

6H:…. damn. Damn you!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 21-Blades in Flesh

----

Aru walked through another room in the Coliseum. This was not the same world she had visited with Ryu and Cedeile. There was no one here, only the occasional heartless, and they were proving to be hard for her to beat. She had several open cuts on her body already-one on her left shoulder was particularly bothering her at the moment. She clasped a hand over it as she slowly progressed. Riku couldn't be that far ahead of her, could he? She felt the torn sleeves of her robe and shook her head. She had to keep going. She walked on slowly, wincing at the shots of pain that shook her body when she moved.

'Aru…' Hikari said. Aru didn't reply. She wanted to do this herself for once.

'I won't rely on anyone. Ryu, Cedeile, Sora, and Riku…they're all so strong on their own. I want that strength for myself. And I won't let anyone help me.' She thought, determined.

And so she walked on.

----

They had left the Monstro of Sora's memories and headed up the pristine white stairs to the next floor. Cedeile walked a little ahead of Kageki and Agent 427. The demon and the Trinity Solider hung back on purpose though.

"When you disappeared like that, she was worried, you know." Kageki said under his breath.

"The two of you shouldn't worry too much about me. I'm a Trinity Solider-I have no identity. I'm no higher than the NEOs."

"I see. You really are an annoyance. I'm surprised, with her mouth, she hasn't told you so herself." She said nothing to him after that, and sped up her steps to get ahead of him. He rolled his eyes.

Cedeile just entered the next hallway when something flew by her and lodged itself in the wall next to her. She didn't scream out,but instead looked to see what nearly took her out. One of Axel's fire wheels was stuck in the wall behind her.

"Damn it! 427, Kageki, looks like we're in for a fight!" She called back behind her. The two rushed up the stairs as she took out the heartblade and took a defensive stance. Axel appeared on the stairs in front of the door to the next world.

"Sorry, heartblade master. I meant to hit that pesky demon that's with you." He said, the other of his weapons in his left hand.

"You mean Kageki?" Cedeile asked. "What'd he do?"

"I don't know. But my boss wants him dead, so it's time to kill him. Now, where's your little kitty?"

"Right here, human bastard." Kageki said, coming out from behind her.

"No, Kageki! I'll take on Axel. I can fight him no problem."

"Please. You were 'soooo tired' after that little skirmish in Monstro, weren't you?"

"Shut up! I was just being lazy. I can take Axel no problem!" she insisted. "I'll show you guys! Watch!" She suddenly dashed toward Axel, the heartblade extended behind her. "Get ready! HOLY PURIFICATION!" She shot the cross of light at him and he went flying back into the door behind him. He lay limp for a few seconds, and then laughed and got up, pushing back and strand of out of place hair.

"Is that really all you can do? What pathetic power. What's the point of the heartblade master anyway? Do you really do the universe any good at all? You can't lock the keyholes, you can't do any other magic, and to top it all off, you're an idiot." He said.

"Shut up!Who are you to decide what I'm worth!"

"And who are you to speak like that, huh? You're nothing special-a keyblade master wanna-be, in my opinion. Your only worth is that you can unlock Rakuen. Otherwise, you'd be just a waste of life."

"Rakuen? What's that?" Cedeile asked. She had almost thought she heard it before.

"Rakuen is paradise. You see, there is a theory that when we die, we separate back into our three parts-body, heart, and soul. Our hearts fall back into darkness, and our bodies rot away, but our souls live on forever. Some say that they go to heaven or hell, depending on if you were a good or evil person in life. But others say that the soul is cleansed and goes to paradise to exist forever. And if you were a sinner, you get the chance to live again-reincarnation, so to speak. But this paradise place is locked up real tight to the living. You need the seven roses and the heart of the heartblade master to open it." He explained. Cedeile was silent.

"In other words, it's a fancy way of saying she's a key. Give her a weapon with some powers, however weak, call her a master, and then she becomes worth something, not to mention those who don't know the whole story would never know how to open Rakuen." 427 added.

"Whose side are you on?" Kageki growled at her. She gave him a blank stare.

"It's the same thing for every heartblade master. For everyone who wields the keyblade, in turn there is one who takes up the heartblade. The keyblade master either casts himself into darkness or saves himself and lets everyone suffer, but history never tells of the heartblade master. They always disappear into oblivion, never heard of, never celebrated, no matter what sacrifices they make. It'll be the same for Cedeile."

"No way." Cedeile said quietly. No one heard her and 427 continued.

"It'll be Sora who saves the worlds and is remembered throughout the rest of time as we know it."

"No freakin' way." Cedeile repeated, a little louder, but 427 chose to ignore her.

"Even if she helps him or makes some significant difference in the worlds, no one will remember it long enough to write it down. Face it Cedeile, you are just the heartblade master-and that's just a fancy way of calling you a key. And someday, Sora will betray you and lock you on the other side of that door your friend Riku disappeared into. That way, there'll never be that danger of Rakuen being opened."

"Hell no! I won't let this Sora kid do such a thing! I'll be DAMNED if such a thing happens!" She yelled out. She gripped her heartblade tighter and charged up the stairs at Axel, tackling him and setting him slightly off balance. She slashed at him over and over, trying to cut him with the purifying light, but he dodged her enraged attacks.

"You're so angry you can't even hit me." Cedeile gritted her teeth and unexpectedly punched him on his left cheek. He stumbled backwards for a few seconds and gently touched the point of impact. He smirked. "Aw…little heartblade master is angry she can't share in the glory of her best friend, huh?" he asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"That's right. You forgot, huh? I'm sure Sora will be glad to hear it!" He suddenly came forward with his weapon, and slashed upward. Blood spurted out of the new cut that ran up the right side of her body. She stumbled a bit, but still stood, clutching her injury. He laughed at her. "Not so tough now, are we?"

"Shut up! You think you can make fun of me just cause I'm a girl, huh?" she yelled.

"No. I can make fun of you because you're completely worthless and you don't even know it. Even your friend over there thinks so." Cedeile turned back and saw 427 standing there with her arms crossed. "Maybe it's her you should be fighting and not me." Cedeile grinded her teeth. Axel was right-427 had said most of that stuff about her being a key to paradise and not having any value. But why would she say such things? Hadn't she been with Cedeile from the beginning, always assuring her that Cedeile could remember everything again.

"You bastard, Axel…" Cedeile whimpered. "I hate you. I hate 427 too…and I'm sick of not having all my memories. I want to just remember everything right now."

"Aw, that's touching. But if you remember everything, that solider girl will get her feelings hurt. Because if you remember a _certain _someone, that girl will be sad." 427 lost her cool, confident look. Her arms fell to her sides and she looked at Axel in shock and horror.

"But why? Who is it I'll remember that will hurt 427?"

"See? Look at her-just the mention of it scares her. It's because you have a tragic connection to this person. The person she doesn't want you to remember is-"

"No! STOP!" It was almost like she teleported from where she was standing to right in front of Axel. She almost was able to drive her blade into his heart-or where it should have been-but he had moved out of her reach just in time. He knocked her blade away with his wheel and grabbed her by the neck. His grip was loose, so he wasn't choking her.

"Now, wasn't that stupid?" he said, smirking. He dropped his hand and casted a firaga spell on her. She collapsed to her knees in pain, her body suit burning off of her skin slightly. He then picked her up and threw her. She landed like a rag doll on the floor in the middle of the room.

"Agent 427!" Cedeile yelled.

"I thought you hated her. If you really wanted to hurt her, you should try to remember that person. Now, down to business. I'm tired of playing with you girls. I came for a demon, after all."

He advanced towards Kageki, who stood unafraid of him. Axel looked like he was on the verge of bursting out laughing. Kageki, on the other hand, looked as if he wanted to rip his foe's throat out and then shove it back in. Finally, the demon sprung at him, tackling him to the floor and sinking his iron claws into him. Axel cursed through his clenched teeth at the new pain. Cedeile stood up and looked down at the scene.

"Kageki…"

"You will not hurt Cedeile!" Kageki roared at him. "I'll kill you, human!"

"Human…that's a compliment for me. I stopped existing a long time ago." Axel mused, more to himself than to his attacker. He smirked through his pain and threw his fire wheel up at Kageki. The blades sliced through his side, and blood began to stain his golden fur.

"No! Kageki!" Cedeile yelled. She ran down the stairs and grabbed onto Axel from behind. "Leave him alone! I'm not done with you, damnit!" He payed her no heed and threw her to the ground. He cast firaga on her and she screamed out as flames engulfed her body.

"Where was I? Ah yes, that's right…" He walked over to the wall where his other weapon was and pulled it out. He was now fully armed. Kageki came towards him again, bearing his fangs, but Axel struck him, the bladed wheels tearing down each of Kageki's sides, from his front hip joints to his back ones. He landed behind Axel and staggered a bit. Blood leaked freely and easily from him. It was true demon blood-unholy black fluid that was staining the once pure white marble. He got up again and turned to face his foe.

"Back for more?" Axel asked mockingly.

"Don't underestimate me. Existing or not, you are just a human. I am a demon." He charged at him, and Axel blocked. This happened several times, but neither backed off. Axel threw his fire wheels again, but Kageki was able to dodge the one and caught the other in his mouth. He hurled it back at Axel, who caught it with ease and threw it at him again. It was another miss, and the demon came and slashed Axel with his claws. Axel stepped back and shot Firaga spells at Kageki. The three spells hit him dead on and he went hurtling back, but he did not stay down. He charged at Axel again, but his foe stepped to the side. Axel attacked with his weapons again. They cut through Kageki again, sending black blood spraying on the walls. The demon flew into the wall behind him and fell the floor limply. Axel laughed.

"Poor little kitty. Were you really giving it your all? Perhaps I was supposed to go easy on you. My mistake."

Suddenly, Axel gave a roar of pain. A cross of white light burned into his right side. Kageki looked to see Cedeile-beaten and battered-leaning against the stairs. She shakily got up on her feet and casted he holy purification spell again and again on him. He staggered backwards with each shot.

"Let's see how long your body can handle my power, Axel!" Cedeile yelled at him. He was hit twice more and fell to the floor, exhausted. This purification was draining his body. He smirked and tossed his weapons at her. They hit her and cut through her sides, more blood going everywhere. She hit the floor but pushed herself up again.

"I'm not quite done with you yet. FIRAGA!" He put out his hand and fire suddenly engulfed Cedeile. She screamed up in pain as her fleshed burned and became charred. When the fire attack ended, he hit her again. One wheel she was able to dodge and received a cut on her forehead, but the over cut across her chest again. She fell to the floor, unable to keep up her strength. Axel laughed at her. "This is the end, heartblade master!" He yelled. Cedeile braced herself as she heard the two weapons fly through the air towards her, and she heard them pierce flesh, and she knew she heard blood splatter, but she felt nothing. She looked up and saw a shadow above her. She gasped in horror.

"Kageki!" she cried. Blood was steadily pouring from his multiple wounds and staining her clothes. She herself was very bloody as well. She tried to hold back tears, but they poured out in torrents, despite her efforts. "Kageki, no! Why did you do this? Why?" He cracked open one ruby colored eye to look at her.

"..B-because…you reached out to me…I don't care what they say about you…you are not useless…you have-" He grimaced at a sudden shot of pain.

"No, Kageki! Don't leave me! I can't remember all the friends I used to have, and I need your help! I can't do this alone!"

"You w-will not be alone…you have Agent 427." He told her, shaking.

"But still, you're my friend too. I don't want to lose you!" She threw her arms around his neck and cried into his gold, blood stained fur. "I don't want to lose you…" she said into his neck. He smiled to himself.

"It's alright. I'll be in your memories. Even if you lose them all again, you will remember, eventually."

"That's not good enough!" She said quietly. She gave a loud sob and continued. "When I woke up, I felt so lonely. And that loneliness is a feeling that felt so familiar to me. Someone else left me a long time ago. Don't you leave me, too. I don't want anyone else to leave me again." She could no longer keep her self-control and let it all come out. Tears washed away the red blood on her face as she gave several miserable sobs.

"I now understand…why Nabuki had to die…she wanted to meet you…as her human self…Yes…I see what she saw, now…" His voice faded off and his one open eye closed. Cedeile felt his body sag and become limp and empty.

It was over. He was dead.

"No, damnit!" she yelled, still holding onto him. "You can live! Why would you want to die! Why? Stay with me…please stay…you wanted…he wanted to protect me too." Cedeile was hysterical at this point. Axel, satisfied with his work, took off into the other parts of the castle without another word. 427 lifted herself up and observed what was in front of her. She walked over to Cedeile and stood behind her.

"_...you would know that I made a promise to never let anyone die on me again…"_

" _I'm going to protect you. You're the heartblade master, so you gotta live whether you want to or not. I promise, I won't let you die before me!"_

"I hear a voice in my head…" she began. 427 looked down at the black-haired girl holding the dead body of the tiger demon. She was about to speak, but Cedeile interrupted her. "And this voice…tells me things…and it scares me. It tells me-no, he tells me that he'll protect me, that he won't let me die…that he cares about me. And it scares me because I can't remember anyone like that. With all the stuff I've already remembered, it doesn't make sense that someone like that would exist for me. And also…it's cause I'm terrified of death. Talking about not letting me die…it scares the crap out of me…"

"Cedeile…" 427 dared to utter. Cedeile swiftly stood up and grabbed the material of 427's clothes, near her neck. She had a vengeful and raging look in her eye as she gripped as tight as she could.

"_You,_" she breathed in a dangerous tone. "This is YOUR fault!" 427 let her cold exterior fall.

"I know you're upset."

"Shut up!" Cedeile yelled. "Why did you say all that stuff to me! I thought we were friends!"

"We're not friends at all. I never said I was friends with you."

"But we're at least on the same damn side, bastard. And then you go and say all those things about how worthless I am!"

"It's true, though. But you don't have to leave it at that. As you continue on with your path, you will have to hear that many times. But you can change your fate. You don't have to burn out."

"But still…IT'S YOU FAULT!" Cedeile sent a hard, swift punch into 427's left cheek. The blow sent her flying to the ground and knocked out one of her back teeth. She spit blood out of her mouth and looked up at her assailant.

"You need to get a hold of yourself, Cedeile."

"Shut your mouth! You bastard…damnit, this is all your fault!" She panted. 427 remained silent as the heartblade master clenched her fists, and then grabbed at her black hair in frustration and anger. She screamed out and then began crying freely. 427 stood up and walked over to her.

"So?" she asked.

"God…I just…hate losing people! I've already…lost everyone I forgot!" Cedeile said between sobs. 427 rolled her eyes.

"Are you always going to be like this? If you can't grow up, then you'll never be able to accomplish anything."

"What'd you say?"

"You heard me. Go the rest of the way by yourself. You did say you hated me." Cedeile looked up at her and dropped her hands from her head limply.

"But I-"

"It'll be good practice. After all, you can't always fight with people near you. Otherwise, things like this happen." She motioned to Kageki's dead body in a pool of blood. Cedeile looked back at the Trinity Solider.

"So you're going to leave me here? That's it? I thought we were friends. I thought we were at least partners in this."

"Never. Did I ever say that? No, I recall saying that I'd go with you, just because we were going to the same place. Now, our paths part. I have other things to do." She turned and walked toward the stairs they had just climbed up before.

"You can't do this." Cedeile said dangerously.

"I don't see anything stopping me."

"You bastard."

"Calling me names now, Cedeile? You're just as immature as on that day. That day when…never mind. What do I care?" And she continued walking down the stairs. Cedeile grinded her teeth together and stood there in silence for awhile.

"Well…fine! I never needed you! In fact, if you had never came with me, then Kageki would still be here!" She yelled, even though she was alone. She turned and walked up the stairs in front of her, not turning to look back at the dead.

----

"Well, at least for once you did something right." Lakchine told Axel as they watched the heartblade master and the Trinity Solider part ways.

"Told you I could. You need to have a little more faith in me." He said. "So, what do we do now?"

"I guess we try to kill her. Can I head her off when she gets to the next floor?"

"Now now, Lakchine. Don't sound so anxious. Besides, I bet Vixen's got a plan for her. He can't keep that Riku Replica to himself forever, can he?"

"I heard the replica fought Riku down there, and then afterward, Riku disappeared."

"Where did he go?" Axel asked, slightly curious.

"Zexion says he might have gone through the mirror…" Lakchine responded slyly. "But no one knows for sure. They just found him again, but they lost him for awhile. He wasn't anywhere within this castle."

"If he indeed went over there, then how'd he do it? I thought there was a barrier of some sort preventing anyone from crossing the divide. From our end, at least."

"Who knows?" Lakchine leaned against the orb and started examining her knives. "Marluxia should be fairly happy, anyway. He only wanted the demon gone, but we got rid of that other girl that was with her too."

"Yup." Axel replied absent-mindedly. He looked at his gloved hands and chuckled to himself.

"Something wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing. Just a blood stain." He replied.

----

"That's her. I told you-she doesn't look it, but she has a huge aura." Zexion explained to Vixen. Vixen peered into the orb and saw a short girl with glasses fighting some heartless in Basement 7.

"She doesn't seem like she could be…that one. Are you sure, Zexion?"

"I'm positive." The silver-haired man responded, his one eye looking at Vixen seriously. Leaxus entered the room as well.

"What're you guys looking at?" he asked.

"That girl. The one who appeared after Riku came back."

"Yeah. She sure is giving those heartless a beating. And she's so injured too." He remarked. Vixen thought for a moment.

"If she really is that one we heard about-Hikari Tagami- then she could interfere with our plans."

"I'll go set up a trap for her, then." Zexion said, starting to walk out of the room.

"No! No…I'll go and get her. I'd like to test her for myself before she dies." He looked back at the orb as it showed more heartless being blown away by a watera spell. "So, Hikari Tagami, you've been hiding in the darkness all this time and now you're back. You certainly have perfect timing…"

----

6H: Next time-Aru versus Vixen! And Namine reveals something to Lakchine!

Anaretsu: Wonderful. You know, this is all a load of crap.

6H: I hate you.

Anaretsu: Great. That's what I was hoping for!


	22. Floor 22:Place

6H: Welcome back everyone! It's time for Chapter 22!

Anaretsu: Great.

6H: Kingdom Hearts 2 is coming out so soon! I'm so excited!

Anaretsu: But there's 6 days until the release date!

6H: So? It's better than waiting two years and only getting a GBA game out of it!

Anaretsu: True.

6H: CoM was very good though. It's just this fic is so freakin hard to write! Ah well, onward to our chapter.

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Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 22- Place

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Aru stumbled up the stairs and into the next hallway. She collapsed on the floor, completely out of breath. Hikari lurked in the back of Aru's soul, very worried by this sight.

'Aru…perhaps I should help.'

"No! I'll be fine! I just need to rest and then I'll heal myself." She insisted out loud. Hikari sighed. Aru pushed herself up and knelt there for awhile, trying to catch her breath. At last, she raided her hand and began casting her magic. "Curaga…" The healing light washed over her and cleared away all the blood from her clothes and skin. She sighed and stood up.

'You've been through a lot, Aru. Let me take over.' Hikari insisted again.

'No. I'll be fine on my own. I have most of the same magic as you do.'

'Why won't you let me help you?'

'Because I want to prove that I'm capable by myself. I can fight just as well as Ryu and Cedeile.'

'I'm not saying you can't. But please-'

'When they tire out, they don't switch places with anyone like you and me. They keep pushing themselves, going beyond regular limitations.'

'So?'

'I want to show them I can do that too. I want them to know they don't have to worry about me so much.' Hikari sighed again.

'I know. But still-I can't just sit here and watch you push yourself to the point of death.' Aru didn't responded to that. She didn't want to deal with Hikari right now. The only thing that mattered was catching up to Riku. She could faintly feel his aura, but there were so many other auras around here too. It was similar to Hollow Bastion-that place had been swarming with different presences that it had been impossible to distinguish any of them, except for when Hikari came close to breaking through. Aru began walking towards the nest door when a hooded figure appeared before them. She narrowed her eyes at the new figure. His aura felt faded, but not weak. He had twilight in him.

"Hello. Welcome back to the realm of the living." The figure said.

"What are you talking about?" Aru asked. He threw back his hood, revealing himself to be an older man with long blonde hair.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was talking to the other one inside you."

"You mean Hikari Tagami?" she asked.

"Yes. After all, she has been dead for 500 years. It must've been quite cold in the darkness, wasn't it?"

"Who are you? How do you know about Hikari?"

"I'm Vixen-and expert scientist. And how can one not know about Hikari Tagami? Especially after her theatrics at End of the World." He said. "And you might be?"

"Aru." She responded. He laughed.

"A simple name for a vessel."

"I'm not a vessel." She responded.

"That's all you are to me. I'm only interested in Hikari Tagami." Aru decided now was the time to end talk. She ran up to him and prepared her spell.

"AQUAGA!" She yelled. A current of water appeared in her hand and she threw it all at him with full force. It knocked him back into the doors behind him, but all he did was laugh.

"Ah. So you use her magic in exchange for letting her use your body?"

"This is my own magic!" Aru yelled. "WOODA!" Vines came out of the wall and bound his wrists, head and chest to the door. "Now how do you know about Hikari?"

"Well, of course we all felt that monstrous aura of hers trying to break through, and when she did, it was like an explosion in our veins. Of course we'd be compelled to find out what caused something so tremendous. That's how we all knew about her. It really wasn't wise to make such a spectacle of yourself, Hikari Tagami. Now the superior knows you've come back." Aru frowned. If other people had felt Hikari's presence, then who knows what could happen.

"Does this 'superior' have plans regarding Hikari?" she asked. Vixen laughed.

"Like I would tell you! You're just a little girl-you're so harmless without that ancient mage inside of you. And your magic is a joke." He pulled his wrists and snapped the vines with ease. Aru took a few steps back as he freed himself from the door. "That wasn't so difficult."

"I'll take you on no problem!" She said confidently.

"I see. But not right here." He stood up and pulled a blank card out of his sleeve. He smirked as he flung it at her. She caught it with ease and looked at it. "Use this card to get through these doors. I'll be waiting for you." He faded out without warning, leaving Aru by herself. Without thinking about it much longer, she ran up to the door and held the card up. A bright light shone, blinding her, as she heard the doors open and was sucked in.

----

There was darkness all around her when she broke though to the other side. She ran blindly into the void, trying to find some end or beginning, but soon, her pace slowed to a walk.

"This place does feel familiar to me." She said, looking around. Vixen appeared behind her. She sensed him immediately and turned, ready to face off.

"I don't get it! Why didn't the place closest to your heart appear?" he demanded. Aru smirked.

"It's because this is the place closest to my heart, Vixen!" Her body emitted light and she changed into Hikari Tagami.

"For 500 years, this was my coffin. This was my prison. This is the End of the World, Vixen-or at least a very good farce of it. This is the place closest to my heart. And to Aru's heart as well." She explained with her usual air of confidence.

"That can't be!" Vixen stammered.

"I believe it very well can and is. So, are you going to stand there like a half-wit all day, or are you going to fight me?" She reached for her leather gloves in her belt and pulled them onto her hands.

"Very well." He said, taking out his Ice Shield. "But I intend to kill you, even if you are just a woman." Without another word, they sprung at each other. Hikari attempted to cast firaga on him, but he put up his shield and blocked her entirely. He used the shield to push her back and she fell on the floor.

"Damn." Hikari muttered.

"BLIZZAGA!" A snowstorm whipped around her and dealt heavy damage to her. She got up and summoned her own ice spell to her hands. She ran up to him and tried to get at him with her hands. He put up his shield and threw her back again. Again she got up and decided to use fire this time. She ran up to him and put both hand in front of her. When she impacted with the shield, she called out her attack and cast it directly on the blue metal.

"FIRAGA!" She went flying back from the force and this time landed on her feet.

"Is that all?" he taunted. "BLIZZAGA!" She put up her hands to block.

"AERO!" she yelled. A gust of wind blew up from the ground and formed around her, forcing the spell to either side of her. They both came at each other, each letting their own respective spell try to rip the other apart. They would clash and then fly back, and then they would circle each other and repeat the same thing. They met at the center, Hikari planning to use her firaga spell in the same way, but Vixen rammed his shield into her. She didn't expect it and fell down again. Before she could get up again, he hit her with a full force blizzaga. When the spell finished, he teleported away and floated out of her reach. She got up on one knee and readied herself for his next attack. Her clothes were shredded in many places, and blood dripped through some of the tears and to the floor. Besides a cut on his cheek, Vixen had no damage.

He made a sudden movement and Hikari flew up faster than she had before. The result was favorable-she ended up behind his shield and right under his neck. She placed a hand on his chest.

"Graviraga!" She called. A dark colored orb engulfed him and then crushed him. He screamed and blood erupted from his mouth. He fell to his knees, shield still raised defensively, while she stood in triumph. But he wasn't quite through with her.

"So, you live up to your reputation. But I have to wonder why you did what you did." He said, licking some blood off his lips, though more continued to leak out.

"What do you mean?" she asked, taking a defensive stance herself.

"You are a powerful mage. You can put up a good fight. Why did you decide to create the keyblade and heartblade? You could've easily killed the king's forces when they sought you out. It's not like you couldn't have said no. So why did you do it?" he asked, grinning menacingly. She glared back at him with her gold mint eyes.

"When I look back at it, the person I have become would have said no. Had I known the way thing would've worked out, and had I been aware that the agony that would arise from the creation of such a weapon, I would've killed all those solider right then and there. I did it for one reason-to prove to the world that I was the greatest mage who ever lived, and solely for that reason."

"That's rather selfish of you."

"I am a selfish person. I created this whole mess because of my own pride. If there was never a keyblade or a heartblade made, then maybe the world would've been destroyed, but it could have begun anew. The greater powers-god and light- could have started the world anew, without darkness-a world of pure light. And that might've been a better world than what we have today. But I did what I did."

"You didn't tell the truth about the way you made them. You told those kids a lot of lies. Why didn't you tell them the truth?" Vixen asked, slowly rising to his feet.

"Because I didn't feel like it." She responded. He laughed and approached her carefully. He stopped a foot away from her and looked down on her, amused.

"You're one cold-hearted bastard." He said. She reached out to repeat her graviraga attack, but he teleported and her hand only met air. She turned to where he now floated. "I'm tired of playing with you. Why don't you play with someone else?" he faded out and behind him stood a familiar figure in dark clothes. The figure came forward, silver hair trailing to his shoulder, a wing-like sword clasped in his hand. Hikari Tagami smirked and he stopped in front of her.

"Hello, Riku." She said. "How much did you hear?"

"No." He responded. "I'm not quite Riku yet. Just…a reflection."

"Oh really? You have some issues you need to sort out then?"

"I'd rather just slit your throat!" He raised his sword to cut her neck, but she moved just in time and pointed her index and middle finger under his chin, ready to attack him.

"Everyone wants a piece of me, don't they?"

"I'll kill you, and that will bring me closer to killing the real Riku!"

"Is that what you want? It has nothing to do with me."

"He loves you."

"He loves Aru. I am loved by no one, nor do I love anyone." She kneed him in the ribs, sending him reeling backwards and to the floor. She threw a weak fire spell at him. He didn't stay down long and came back up at her, the blade catching her arm and sending blood flying. She came at him again, but he blocked.

Hikari intended to end this quickly so she could go after Vixen, but Riku didn't want to let her go so soon. She went to cast aquraga on him, but he dodged underneath it and tried to hit her open back. She swung around just in time and hit him with a thundra spell and sent him flying to the floor. He came up again and extended his hand.

"Dark firaga!" He yelled. The black fire hit her dead on and seemed to burn her down to her very heart and soul. When the attack subsided, she shakily collapsed and tried to get up.

'What was that? It almost felt like my soul and heart were going to be ripped from this body!' She thought, frantic. This had never happened to her before. She looked back up at him as he watched her, amused. 'He must know about this. He must be trying to separate Aru and I and force me out of our body. I don't have as strong of a root in our body as Aru does, so it won't take much to get me out. I can't take another hit like that, or I might be forced out!' She stood upright again and went at him.

"Dark firaga!" his voice boomed. The black fire came at her again, but she just narrowly missed it.

"EARTHA!" she yelled. Rocks rose out of the ground below and levitated in the air. She moved them all to float over him and then dropped them down on his body, hopefully crushing him under the weight. A surge of his aura and an explosion of dark power told her otherwise as he rose again. She tried again. "EARTHA!" She brought the rock into the air and it took all her concentration and strength to levitate them. Riku didn't want to wait and flew at her faster than she could follow him. He ended up right up against her and placed a hand just under her chest. He smirked evilly as he muttered his spell.

"Dark firaga." The fire engulfed her again and shook her soul to its bond with Aru. She screamed and tried with all her might to keep herself attached. Rock crashed around the two of them as she slowly felt herself tearing away, and felt Aru and herself become separate and then meld back together weakly. She staggered as she put her full concentration into keeping her soul rooted down. She could hear Aru screaming in her head-these attacks affected her as well. Another big shock might tear her soul apart as well, and then they'd both be dead. But not matter what, Hikari would not let herself show her opponent her true pain. She stood upright again, looking at Riku squarely in the face.

"You're just a doll. An imitation of the real Riku."

"Shut up! I already know that." Riku Replica told her indignantly.

"That also means you have no soul. Humans can make hearts and bodies, but they cannot reproduce a soul. Because you have no soul, you can never be real." He glared at her.

"You're a lot like that…_thing _that roams the castle."

"What thing?"

"A gray angel with no name. It attacked me. But it said a lot of the same bull that you're spitting out right now."

"Is this gray angel real or just a figment of your imagination?"

"I'd like to think I'm very real." A voice said. A dark portal appeared to Hikari's left, and out of it stepped the half angel-demon. It landed on its feet and looked back and forth between the both of them. "You, I thought I took care of." It said, looking at Riku Replica. "And you I've never met." It told Hikari.

"I'm new here." Hikari said, bringing a fire spell to her hand. The red flames engulfed her fingers and remained at the ready.

"Then you must die too."

----

6H: That's the end of this chapter. Sorry it was short. I'd like to think we're getting to the midpoint of the story.

Anaretsu: That means half of the story is over, which also entails that the second half is starting.

6H: Well duh.

Anaretsu: What I mean is soon, this fic will be over and I can get some peace and quiet!

6H: Three words-Kingdom Hearts 2.

Anaretsu: Save me from this god-forsaken fic!

6H:Shut your mouth! Anyway, next chapter entails a three-way fight between Hikari Tagami, Riku Replica, and the half angel-demon. Coming soon-Cedeile in Halloween town, Ryu versus Lakchine, and 427 confronts the organization head on!


	23. Floor 23:A Doll, a Devil, and the Dead

6H: And thus we are here again. Let's do a recap!

Anaretsu: Let's not. Recaps are stupid.

6H:At this point in time Cedeile is on her own, 427 has disappeared, Hikari Tagami is fighting Riku Replica when the half angel-demon comes in and Ryu is still somewhere inside Castle Chocobo.

Anaretsu: Wonderful. Let's get on with our lives.

6H: In celebration of KH2, I'm bringing you in to chapter 23!

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Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 23-A Doll, a Devil, and the Dead

----

"I'm new here." Hikari said, bringing a fire spell to her hand. The red flames engulfed her fingers and remained at the ready.

"Then you must die too." The half angel-demon replied. The three of them stood there quietly for a while, and then the silence erupted.

"Dark Firaga!"

"FIRAGA!" Hikari and Riku Replica flew at the angel-demon, but it was quicker and drew out its magic swords. Hikari dodged the one aimed at her, but Riku took the one meant for him through his shoulder. Hikari slid to a stop behind the angel-demon and threw fireballs at them both. The two dodged easily and threw attacks at each other. Riku used dark firaga at the angel-demon, and it used wind magic on him. Hikari charged up to him when he fell and was about to cast blizzaga when she was hit by another wind spell. The gust knocked her over and her new for came down on her with one of its magic sword. Hikari grabbed the sword with her hand, cutting through her gloves into her palm, and toss the angel-demon aside while she got up to confront Riku. He shot dark firaga at her, but she blocked it with blizzaga and ran up to him.

"Let go of me!" He demanded as she grabbed his hair and one of his wrists.

"Did you forget me!" The uninvited guest came at them both. Hikari swung Riku between her and the angel-demon. Its swords both went through him, sending blood flying onto both of them.

"You-!" The replica got out before Hikari threw him aside and ran at the angel-demon. It extended the nails on its right hand and went to cut into the ancient mage, but Hikari was quicker and instead grabbed its wrist and pulled it around behind her, attempting to throw it. The angel-demon turned for a counter strike, but Hikari was ready with blizzaga and pushed out her hand to the angel-demon's chest.

"BLIZZAGA!" Hikari yelled. The angel-demon felt the full force as the spell blasted into it and sent it flying across the room. Hikari was enjoying the fruits of her work when she felt a stabbing pain in her back. Riku Replica had gotten up again and shoved his weapon into her while she was distracted. He pulled the wretched blade out of her and she cried out.

"Dark firaga!" he yelled. Hikari knew she wouldn't have time to avoid it. However she never felt the attack come. She turned to look and saw that the angel-demon had intercepted it, and had not taken much damage from it. Besides some smoldering fabric, it seemed unharmed. But she did not have long to observe as the angel-demon turned on her and slashed across her with its five long nails. They cut across her face and down across her chest. She stumbled back and prepared a new spell, forming a triangle shape with her hands.

"AQURAGA!" she yelled. A blast of water came out and hit the both of them. The replica recovered first and came back at her, using another one of his new powers.

"DARK BREAK!" He yelled, and disappeared for a moment. Then Hikari felt a splitting moment of pain and then a second later heard the angel-demon cry out. But it wouldn't stand around and take this. It clenched its fist and sent out a shockwave of air. The wave not only knocked Hikari off her feet, but stopped Riku in his tracks as well. The angel-demon flew to Riku first and brandished its nails again-this time using both hands. It slashed its nails in opposite directions, making a bloody grid on his body. He retaliated by using Dark Break again, but solely on the angel-demon. He struck three good blows before it seized him by his leg and swung him around. It let him go and he flew straight into Hikari. The two went flying and slid on the floor. Hikari pushed him off of her and cast gravity on him to keep him out of the way while she dealt with the angel-demon. She walked towards it as it waited for her, unblinking. Hikari readied her trusty fire in her hands and increased her pace into a swift run. She brought her hand around like she was going to make an underhanded punch and shot the fire into her opponent. It wasn't prepared and staggered back, but regained itself quickly.

"So what's your story?" Hikari asked while they exchanged blows.

"I'm just getting revenge for being replaced. What about you?" The half angel-demon asked her.

"I'm trying to fix something I did 500 years ago."

"That's a sin that runs deep." It replied, dodging a fireball.

"Yes." Hikari replied, ducking under a magic sword. The two kept going at it until Riku burst in between them. He placed a hand on each one of them and yelled "DARK FIRAGA!"

The attack once again had little affect on the half angel-demon, but Hikari was sent into extreme pain once more. She screamed as she felt her soul ripping lose from its roots. She put all her mind into keeping it where it should be while Vixen's two experiments fought amongst themselves. She slowly was able to get control back and her soul settled down again.

'One more attack and I'm done.' She thought. This battle had to end now, and she knew one sure fire way to do it.

'Hikari!' Aru yelled out for the first time during to battle. 'You're going to use-'

'Aru, no matter what, make sure your soul stays rooted down in your body. This one…might shake us a bit.' She said. She raised her right hand and put it out in front of her. A light began to gather around her and steadily grow brighter. The angel-demon and the Riku Replica were too caught up in their fight to notice. He had just slashed across its face and its blood went everywhere. Hikari was ready.

"LIGHTRA!" She screamed. The whole room was caught in an explosion of light. The angel-demon opened a portal and escaped before the light engulfed it, and Riku Replica put up a dark shield to try and withstand the force.

----

The light subsided and Hikari fell to her knees. Her glasses had fallen off her face during the attack and lay shattered next to her hand. Sweat and blood dripped off her face as she let out fleeting gasps.

'I guess it's been awhile.' She told Aru. 'Are you okay?'

'I'm fine. Just shaken, but fine.' Hikari nodded, assured of her partner's safety. She looked up and saw the Riku Replica in the same shape she was. He staggered up and tried to walk, but was unable.

"Damn you." He was able to get out. "How…?"

"I don't bluff…when I say I was the best mage…of my time." She replied between gasps for air.

"You're just…a dead…ghost from the past…" he responded.

"And you're just a doll." She said, kneeling on her heels. She picked up her glasses and used her blacksmith magic to repair the broken glass. The fire she delicately manipulated with her fingers melted the glass shards back into the frames, and then she cooled the glass with blizzard. She placed them neatly back on the bridge of her nose and shakily stood up.

"I'm sick of you." Riku Replica told her. "I've got someone more important to go after-Sora!" He vanished into the darkness.

"Curaga." Hikari muttered, and healed herself. 'If he's going after Sora…then that means Sora is here.'

'We have to meet up with him!' Aru cried. 'And we have to find the real Riku and Cedeile as well!'

'You're right. Come on-let's go!' Hikari saw the next door and ran towards it, forcing it open and bursting across the threshold.

----

"Nice job there, Miss Witch." Lakchine said as she strode into the white room with ease. She stopped behind Namine's chair and rested an elbow on it. "Sora's completely confused. He has no idea what's happening to him." She laughed and then looked over her shoulder at the girl sitting there sadly. "Something wrong?"

"No." Namine answered quietly.

"I thought you'd enjoy replacing Kairi in his heart. He's crazy about you. He's fighting oh so hard to get to his _precious _Namine."

"It doesn't matter if I rewrite his memories. Kairi will still be there." Namine replied sadly. "Kairi will always be there, because I'm her shadow." Lakchine raised and eyebrow and pushed away from the chair.

"And shadows can't have fun?" She asked, walking around the chair and across the room. "I don't know about you, but I'm having lots of fun fooling around with these guys." Lakchine looked back at the girl, who sighed sadly. Lakchine rolled her sea green eyes and put her fists against her hips. "You just had to have a conscience."

"I care about Sora-I really do. But I can never get close to him."

"Then get rid of Kairi. Is it fair that she should have the most special place in his heart while you are forced to watch from your little white cage?"

"It is fair. This is payment for my sins." Namine replied, holding up her sketchpad. She traced the lines of the drawing with her finger as tears welled up in the corners of her blue eyes. "Yes. This is punishment." She whispered to herself.

"If you've already sinned once, there's no going back, so you might as well sin again. Things can't get any worse."

"Lakchine…"

"I'm a sinner too." She said, her eyes lighting up with her evil smirk. "That's how I got here. It's how we all got here. I lost part of myself, but I gained something much better in return. There is no room to regret, and no point in repenting. Just keep going on. There's no point in following the rules when you've already broken them."

"I can't do this anymore…" Namine said quietly, trying to keep the tears in. She lifted her hand that had an eraser in it and placed it on one of the lines of the picture. "But what choice do I have?" She slowly dragged it along one of the lines, unraveling more memories as she did so. Lakchine watched her, uninterested. Namine was too kind for her tastes and bored her immensely, so it surprised her that Marucia liked her so much. She headed out of the room and down the stairs, where she found Axel lurking about.

"What are you doing?" Lakchine asked him.

"I could ask the same of you, but I don't care enough." He spat at her.

"Sure, whatever. I think I did a pretty good job, forcing him to remember."

"The plans going pretty well. Now that he thinks that Namine is the one he must protect." Axel agreed. "Anyway, something's going on downstairs. I just felt it, didn't you?"

"I was talking to Namine. She has the ability to wipe out auras from your mind sometimes. Not that she does it on purpose-it just seems like all aura get erased near her, which is ironic, considering she can sense everything in the castle." Lakchine explained.

"Well, since you couldn't be arsed to noticed, there was a huge burst of power in one of the basements. Zexion says it was a light spell."

"But there's no way anyone in this castle has that kind of power."

"Hikari Tagami is in Castle Oblivion. She did it." Axel said bluntly. "Now get out of my way. I have stuff to do. Can't afford to be sitting around idly." He pushed her out of the way and continued up the stairs. Lakchine narrowed her eyes at his retreating back and then proceeded down the stairs.

'Hikari Tagami being here will mess up our plans to overthrow the organization. Marucia must be pretty pissed off right about now.' She thought as she climbed down the stairs. 'I can't wait to fool around with the heartblade master's mind. That will be a real treat indeed.'

----

6H: The end of another chapter has come. Sorry it was so short.

Anaretsu: Some people might be rejoicing.

6H: I'm going to ignore that. Well, things are starting to come together a little bit, and soon the story will really get moving. I'm afraid it's been dragging from one pointless battle to the next.

Anaretsu: Have you been reading my mind or something?

6H: Shut up! Well anyway, next chapter Hikari faces down with Vixen and meets Namine! And Cedeile roams around Halloween Town and faces the ghost of her memories? Check back soon!


	24. Floor 24:Show Behind the Curtain

6H: Time for chapter 24! I'm kind of excited-this Vixen vs. Hikari story arc has been driving the plot forward a bit, I think. The stage is really being set for KH2. How appropriate, considering it's finally going to be released! I'm so excited!

Anaretsu: Screw you all. I'm going to lock myself in a closet.

6H: I can't wait to find out what it all means! 4 years of wondering…waiting…and now it all comes down to a handful of days. Ah, hell with my pointless ranting. To the fic!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo.

Floor 24-Show Behind the Curtain

----

He waited for her there, his shield at his side, ready in case she was foolish enough to try and ambush him. She walked towards him with fierceness in her mint green eyes-a fierceness that hadn't faded in the 500 years since her death. He smirked at her.

"Did my toy give you a good fight?" he asked.

"You're behind all this? That boy with the silver hair is yours, isn't he?" she asked, ready to kill him right there. He laughed.

"I made him."

"And that other creature-the angel-demon-that's yours too?"

"Yes it is. But it is an old project-one that I have lost all interest in. But this kind of thing happens often."

"Why doesn't that surprise me in the least?" she spat.

"Let's get started and end this quickly. DIAMOND DUST!" Ice appeared in the air and flew right at her. She tried to use her fire to block it, but she was struck several times. He came right at her and smashed his shield into her. She lost her balance, but came back at him.

"EARTHA!" she yelled. She threw the rocks right into him, but he used his shield to deflect them. She scowled.

"You just keep doing the same thing over and over!" Vixen yelled. "DIAMOND DUST!"

"THUNDAGA!" she screamed while he was open. The lightning bolt went right through him, but she also caught his attack as well. She received a huge gash across her diaphragm. Vixen stumbled after her attack subsided and came at her again. Hold her wound with one arm, she cast magic with the other. He used the blades coming out of his shield and jammed one of them into her defending arm. She cried out and he pulled away.

"BLIZZAGA!" The mass of ice slammed into her and forced her to the ground. He came towards her again.

"GRAVIRAGA!" She threw one of her hand out in front of her and sent the spell at him. He got caught in the dark orb, and she smiled when she heard him scream from within. The orb dissipated, leaving a crippled Vixen. Blood poured from his mouth uncontrollably.

"Do you enjoy trying to crush my innards?" he asked between spitting out blood. It looked like he would drown in it.

"A little." She replied.

"You really are a bastard." He said, wiping some of the blood away. "Blizzaga!" She clenched her eyes shut as the ice crystal slammed into her. Vixen laughed.

"It's funny, is it?" she asked, in pain.

"Yes it is. You act so high and mighty that it is refreshing to see you helpless and injured. Be careful-that wound might kill you." He referred to the gash in the middle of her body. She growled and quickly healed it with her magic. "Oh, what a shame." He said with sarcasm. Hikari stood and gazed at him with intensity.

"You forget that I'm already dead." She said in a dangerous tone.

"Yes, but if you bleed to death then your body will no longer have the strength to hold onto your soul and your heart, so it's as good as death. But I wonder what would happen to the other one in your body." He smirked as a hint of worry showed up in her face.

Then the fight started up again.

It was fast paced-the both of them were flying at each other with no signs of relenting. There was the constant sound of the clanging of metal and of the different spell. Their voice echoed off the walls and bounced back to them.

Hikari kicked Vixen's shield out of his hand and pushed her hand into his face.

"FIR-" She was about to finish but he punched his fist into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She doubled over in shock.

"DIAMOND DUST!" he yelled. The spell threw her back, leaving Vixen out of her reach. She jumped up and ran at him again.

"FIRAGA!" She yelled. The spell burned away at his coat on the arm he used to block the attack. She tried again, but he stepped out of the way.

"You cannot win, Hikari Tagami." He declared. "In your 500 year absence, the worlds have moved on. No longer are you the strongest mage in the universe."

"But you aren't either." She replied.

"True. But you're so weak. Because my replica has attacked you with his special magic-magic that can attack souls-you have been greatly weakened by trying to keep your soul in your body." He paused. "I can tell by that look on your face that what I've said is true."

"Why are you and your little group interested in me?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't we be? You created the heartblade and the keyblade. You started this never-ending cycle of darkness against light. The constant battle undertaken every generation or so against the heartless that try to take over our worlds."

"I don't understand why you would want to get rid of me, though."

"As useful as you are, you are in the way. And that aura of yours covers up everything else near you. I can't even sense my fellow companions when they're standing right next to me, thanks to you. That and your new little quest for reconciliation."

"How much do you know about me?"

"Enough." Was his only reply. She crossed her arms. "In time, you will see what I mean. I'm done with you for now-we shall meet again later." Before she could stop him, he vanished. Hikari sighed, and saw the next door she needed to take out of here.

'Aru, something is not right here.'

'I know.' The smaller girl replied, her voice echoing in Hikari's head. 'Let me take over again.'

'Not yet. I can sense something behind this door.' She said, running a hand along it. She grasped the handle and opened it with ease. A light flooded through from the other side.

----

This room was not like the others-it was completely made of white marble. As her eyes adjusted to the new brightness, she could make out an orb in the middle of the floor, and a white chair. And in the white chair was a girl dressed in white with pale blonde hair. The girl had intense blue eyes that stood out against the washed-out colors of the room. She looked at Hikari with purpose. The ancient mage felt out of place in this room somehow, and felt that a lot of magic was gathered here as well. At last, the girl spoke to her in a soft, timid voice.

"I was hoping to get the chance to speak to you." She said. Hikari gave another glance around the room, expecting someone to jump out and begin to fight with her again. She looked at the girl once again.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm a witch. My name is Namine."

"And I take it you know who I am already?"

"With an aura like yours, how could I not? You are Hikari Tagami-the ancient mage who, 500 years ago, created the keyblade and heartblade. And you also shattered Silvia into a thousand pieces and sent those pieces to other worlds, correct?"

"That is true. You know about the disaster?"

"Only a little. An army of heartless attacked Disney castle and there was a huge war that could no longer be called a war, but a disaster. Thousands of people died, and the battle caused the worlds to split apart and break their connections to each other. It was also the end of a family who had ruled the kingdom for many years-the only child of King Arthur died on that day, didn't he?" Hikari winced. "Eventually, time erased the pain and people forgot all about the disaster, but the king could not. On his deathbed, he ordered all the documents from that time to be moved to a secret location, and he charged the Ryu Clan with guarding that location and the documents. But the clans began dying out rapidly in the next century, and the Ryu Clan, too, began to dwindle down to only a few families. The location of the documents was lost forever."

"How did you find out all of this?" Hikari asked. "Since the documents were lost, I thought that knowledge of the event had been completely lost forever and that only a handful of people who read forbidden books knew."

"We have found some books from that time that survived. They were written by mages in the second century after the disaster, about 300 years ago. Those were considered the dark times, in which many mages began studying deeper into magic. Many began doing research into using magic to create objects with special properties. They had theories about magic existing in metals and organic substances, like blood. They began to experiment using animals to find what magic potential they could unlock with a greater source of magic that was contained in the living tissues and blood. Then, the second keyblade master was called upon, and fought, and defeated the heartless. Mages all over the worlds received some news about the Keyblade master, and all were intrigued. They began to study magical properties that might create substances similar to the keyblade, but none could be found.

"When the keyblade once again disappeared, the mages continued their research into using flesh and blood to do magic. They also studied how one could mix natural elements together to cast magic. This was the development of the hexagram and pentagram spells. They found that the shape allowed equal distribution of the products to each other and to the person casting the spell, granting an immense amount of power. But using animals wasn't enough anymore. They started using humans in their experiments, and soon another heartless scare came. They justified their methods, saying that they were studying how to create another keyblade to, once again, defeat the heartless and force them back to the land of death. This was far from the truth. They were writing the forbidden spells we know of today and they did everything from death curses to raising the dead, the creation of fake body parts from decayed flesh and metal, the path the eternal life, the creating of weapons, powerful magic that killed the person who casts it in exchange for the decimation of an entire world-this was what came out of it all. That time, the heartless almost won, but the third keyblade master was able to force them back to the west in time.

"When it got out that evil magic was being studied, everyone was in a panic. A new generation of mages rose up and went through all the curses and spells that were written down. They tried to burn them, but that only caused the curses to activate on their own. So the only solution was to lock them away."

"Then that's the archive at Hallow Bastion?" Hikari interjected. Namine nodded.

"It's one of several. There is one beneath Disney Castle that a group of mages locked away. And there is another one buried within Book Mountain at Book City, but it has most likely been seal with many spells, and the passage to it has caved in." she replied.

"How do you know of all this?"

"The organization members have been gathering up whatever books they could find and bring them here. They are looking for ways to get to paradise, control the keyblade, and many other things I don't know about."

"That time in the second century after the disaster was a sinister one." Hikari remarked.

"It was. Many people died because of the mages' studies. Both intentionally and accidentally. The third heartblade master was a victim of these incidents as well. One mage cut her apart to see what made him the heartblade master."

"I watched that happen. I'll never forget it." Hikari said quietly. "I always feel their pain, and I always remember it."

"It's because of your strong connection to the weapons that lets you watch over them. The fourth keyblade master was also a victim of a mage experiment. She cast a double hexagram spell that took her life in exchange for destroying all heartless and the land of death. At least, that's how the spell was designed to work."

"But things didn't turn out that way. I remember it well-it took her life and the entire world she was on at the time. All that happened in exchange was the destruction of a thousand or so heartless, and End of the World got touched by some light." Hikari told Namine, disgusted. "Vixen was right-the worlds have kept moving. And I am standing still, watching everything go forward. There is nothing I could possibly do to have an influence on it. This is why the dead should not be raised." She finished, mournfully.

"In five hundred years, there have been several masters, each disappearing one by one into the oblivion of time. But even though many battles are fought and many victories claimed, the war never ceases. The cycle keeps going, and it seems like neither the light nor the darkness gains any ground at all. But now, things are different, aren't they? This isn't a normal cycle this time-this could be for everything. Or else you wouldn't have come back, right?" Namine asked.

"True. This time, everything is different. I could feel that something was starting when Ansem became the keyblade master. I knew that he had to be the master-he had all the right properties. He was a very passionate person-he fought alone, but bravely. He had a strong desire to protect everyone, but then he had to make his choice."

"He choose oblivion so the worlds could have light." Namine inserted.

"Yes. I think it affected him more than he thought. He was changed after that. So when he fell in love with that woman, she was able to suppress his darkness."

"You mean Cyanna." Namine said.

"You know her?"

"I know of her. And she was rather frail, right?"

"That's right."

"Then she gave birth to Kairi and died. That drove Ansem over the edge. He became obsessed with getting her back, at no matter what cost. His curse took over and he couldn't be stopped. He used his own daughter to find the masters, and he destroyed a whole world to unleash the darkness. He studied paradise, and how to get there-the true paradise where his only love had to be. This goes beyond seven years ago, though. This goes back all the way to the first cycle, doesn't it?" She looked at Hikari as if she knew that there was something else. The mage was surprised.

"It might." Hikari got out at last. She said the words with such effort, it gave away that she was, indeed, hiding something.

"What are you keeping to yourself?" Namine asked.

"A story that should never be told. It's about what love can do to people, about my own selfish pride, and the people that died because of it." Hikari said simply. "Now, what did you really want me here for? I know it wasn't just for a history debate and for establishing facts."

"I need to ask you something." The witch said. "I need you to go help Sora." Hikari raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"Please, help Sora."

"Why?"

"The organization is using me to erase Sora's memories, so that Marucia can get the power of the keyblade. I changed Sora's memories so that he thinks he knew me as a child and made a promise to protect me."

"So? That's you problem. You can simply change his memory back, right?"

"Marucia is forcing me to do this. If I start changing the memories back, he'd find out and just go and kill Sora. I don't want that to happen. That's why I need you to go and help him defeat Marucia. If he does that, then I can change his memories back to how they're supposed to be." She looked at her hopefully. "Hikari Tagami, will you help me?"

"What will I get in return?" Hikari asked seriously. Namine thought for a moment, and looked down at her sketchpad.

"I can erase your past." Namine answered after a long while. "Your past gives you pain. You regret making the two weapons that are the center of this new war, and you cannot rest until your wrongs are right. You have so many regrets and so much pain. But I can go back in your memories and change that simple 'yes' that you said into a 'no.'" Hikari thought it over carefully. Namine continued. "If I do that, then I'll also have to erase all your memories of your time in Castle Oblivion as well."

Hikari stayed silent. It was true-she had so many regrets from her past. That's why she had come back in this borrowed body to try and fix her mistakes. But for all that trouble from the past to just go away in an instant seemed to good to be true. But then, she would also forget everything that happened leading up to the disaster-the good and the bad. She would forget the people important to her that she had met because of that "yes." Was it really worth it?

"This is the price of memory, huh? With good memories always come bad ones, and the bad ones are the ones you can never forget." She half mumbled to herself. Namine waited patiently while Hikari decided. "I'll help Sora," She said at last, "But I don't think I want my memories erased."

"Thank you so much. You don't understand how much this means to me." Namine said, completely grateful for this. "In order to help you reach him faster, I will take you out of the basements, but I can only move you as far as the fifth floor, otherwise Marucia will sense it."

"Whatever." Hikari replied, crossing her arms. "I guess I better get started before Sora gets too far ahead of me." Namine nodded, picked up her pencil, and began sketching something on the smooth paper before her. The room began to fade out in front of Hikari. She watched Namine work until she could no longer see her, and now saw before her a white hallway with a staircase in front of her. A door stood atop the stairs. Hikari smirked and changed back to Aru once more.

"We'll both watch out for Sora." Aru said to Hikari. She could feel the other one nod in agreement as she mounted the stairs to the fifth floor.

----

6H: I'm sure you're tired of reading this, so I'm going to shut up and end it here. Sorry about long paragraphs that seem to be about nothing. It'll all tie together…. eventually. Heh heh heh.


	25. Floor 25:Ghost in the Grave

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 25-Ghost in the Grave

----

"And now I can't remember a thing." Cedeile finished explaining. Jack Skellington, who was standing in front of her, nodded in wonder. Cedeile was sitting on an empty table pushed against the wall of the lab, swinging her legs like a little child.

"That seems like quite a problem indeed, Cedeile." Jack replied. "So, you're looking for Sora because some guy named Leon told you that Sora could help you remember?"

"Pretty much." She sighed. "I wish I could figure out what happened to me. Then it might be easier to get all my memories back."

"It certainly would." Jack agreed. "Well, at least you've come to the right place-Dr. Finkelstien is a world famous scientist!" He gestured to the other person in the room-a small little figure in a wheeled chair. "So doctor, do you think you can help Cedeile?" He asked. The scientist thought for a moment.

"Her memories died!" he said. Cedeile nearly fell off the table.

"What!"

"If her memories died? Wouldn't she have died with them?" Jack asked.

"Not necessarily." Dr. Finkelstien replied. "Perhaps, while she was doing something, her memories just died, which caused her to pass out and then she woke up, not remembering a thing!"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Cedeile yelled. "Why would my memories just die?"

"Has something traumatic ever happened to you?" he asked. Cedeile hopped off the table and onto her feet, and then thought for a moment.

"Not that I can remember. Well…" She thought back to Kageki's death, but tried to shake it from her mind. "Recently, yes, but I can't remember anything from my past before I got to this cas-place."

"Well, if you are to find your memories, then you'll have to go looking in a grave!" Jack said. "Maybe they're buried out in the graveyard!"

"Can't hurt to at least look." Cedeile replied hesitantly. She really didn't believe that her memories just died.

"I'll work on something to bring the memories back to life. If I can make a potion to reveal true memories, then this will be easy." Dr. Finkelstien said.

"Cedeile, I'll help you look for that grave." Jack offered.

"Sure. Thanks." She responded. The two headed out for the graveyard, leaving the famous scientist to his work.

----

"You have to be kidding me."

Cedeile and Jack arrived at the entrance to the graveyard-that happened to stretch out for what seemed like miles. Cedeile looked out at it, exasperated.

"We better get looking if we want to find your memories!" Jack said. Cedeile sighed and joined him, looking amongst the tombstones for a clue as to what they were looking for exactly.

"Hey Jack, how do you find a grave of memories, anyway?"

"I'm not sure. I suppose it'll have a stone reading 'Cedeile's Memories' or something like that." She walked along the headstones listlessly, glancing at the moon hanging in the sky. She thought she heard something, but wasn't quite sure. Then, she stopped and looked down. She was standing in front of a grave with a blank marker. She couldn't tear herself away-something was drawing her to it.

_"Cedeile, put the flowers on the coffin, sweetie." A motherly voice said. A small Cedeile clutched onto a wreath of blue flowers. Many people, much bigger than her, stood around a box lying on the beach sands. She gripped the flowers tighter, causing several blue petals to fall to the ground. _

Cedeile's eyes widened. What was that a memory of? What was the box she was standing in front of? Who were all those people? She shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts.

"Cedeile? Are you okay?" Jack's distant voice reached her and she came back to reality. She turned and saw him right beside her.

"Yes, I'm all right. I just remembered something, that's all." She replied.

"What did you remember?"

"I'm not sure. Something from when I was really little. I can't really tell what it is." Jack placed a bony hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Cedeile! We'll find the grave of your memories, soon!" She looked up at him and smiled.

"Yeah. Let's just keep looking." She said. The two split up and looked all over the graveyard, inspecting each grave.

A little while later, Jack was excitedly calling her name and waving his hands in the air.

"I found it, Cedeile! Look right over here!" He called. She ran over to where he was and slid to a stop.

"What is it?" She asked. She looked at the headstone.

"See? It has you name on it! But since you're living out here, this must be your memories!" She inspected the stone-it, indeed, had her name on it.

"Well, this is slightly creepy." Cedeile remarked. "Now what?"

"Why don't you dig them up? Here, I'll help!" He told her. The two began to move the dirt away from the grave in order to gain access to what was within. The dirt was light, and the coffin not buried too deep. They soon hit the wooden box. Cedeile looked at it unsurely, and then back at Jack.

"Honestly, I'm afraid of what I might find." She said.

"That's okay. There's nothing wrong with being afraid of something new."

"Okay then." She knelt down on the ground beside it and pried her fingers under the lid. It took great effort to force the coffin open, and she slowly pushed the lid up until she was able to throw it completely open. She cautiously dared to look, and was startled to see what was insider.

Her perfect mirror image rested peacefully inside, every detail exactly like herself. It was as if she was someone else looking at this poor, dead girl. Cedeile hadn't noticed it herself before now, but her arms and legs on the doppelganger in the coffin had several, slightly faded scars all over-like she had seen many great battles. She looked at her own arms and found the exact same scars. They were faint, like they had been from a battle long ago.

"How could this be?" Cedeile murmured to herself. Jack was completely speechless. "Is this form the me that has my memories?"

"We'll have to find out, I guess. Let's go back to Dr. Finkelstien's lab to find out." Jack told her at last. She pulled the other her out of the coffin and slung one of her arms over her shoulder. It was rather awkward, but there was no other way she could think of. They began to walk out of the graveyard when an army of heartless ambushed them.

"Damn it!" Cedeile hissed as she placed her doppelganger down next to her and whipped out the heartblade. Jack readied himself for battle as well.

"Get ready Cedeile!" he called. She charged at a group of Search ghosts that were trying to surround her. She assaulted one with three consecutive strikes, and it went down fairly easily. She turned behind her to find them trying to drag her memories away.

"Not so fast!" She yelled, dashing towards them. "Holy Purification!" The attack sent one flying back to the ground. Jack was there, and the stray heartless landed just in time to be on the receiving end of his thundara attack. Cedeile jumped at the other two and kicked the one away while slashing the heartblade through the other one. She stood by the limp form of her memories, ready to defend it against anything. One of the search ghosts came flying at her, so she swung the heartblade out like a sword. The heartless hit the strand of light left behind and fell back. She finished it off with ease. Another one came at her and she repeated the cycle. When it fell, two came from behind. She swung around the meet them. "Holy Purification!" she yelled. The two Search Ghosts disappeared in the purifying light.

"Thundara!" Jack called out, sending a hail of lightning at the gargoyles and wight knights. They screamed as they were electrocuted, and disappeared.

With all the heartless defeated, they made their way back to the lab.

----

They were ambushed no more than three times before they got back to Dr. Finkelstien's lab. The scientist scolded them a bit for taking so long, but then they showed him what they found.

"Ah. Very interesting indeed!" he said as they laid the doppelganger on the examining table.

"We found her in a grave that had my name on it." Cedeile explained. "Tell me-are these my memories?" The doctor looked between her and the body on the table and thought for a moment.

"Well, Dr. Finkelstien? Are they really Cedeile's memories?" Jack asked with impatience.

"No. They are not your memories, Cedeile." He replied after a long silence. "Look here! The one difference between these two…" He pointed to the doppelganger's neck, and then to Cedeile's. "Can you see it? Cedeile has a crown shaped necklace around her neck. This one," -He pointed to the still body-" does not. Tell me, where did you get that necklace?"

"Um…" Cedeile thought, touching the metal chain with her fingers, "I can't remember."

"This body here is someone else's memories of you." He told her. "But as you know, this person buried the memory of you deep within their heart, which is why you found this in the graveyard. If these were your memories, then this body and you would be exactly alike, but they are not. That's because this is somebody's impression of you, not your own."

"Someone forgot me?" she asked sadly.

"But we dug up the memories!" Jack interjected. "Does that mean that whoever forgot Cedeile will remember her?"

"It could very well mean that!" Dr. Finkelstien added. "If you could find that person, then maybe they could help you remember."

"Another person to find?" she whined at him. "I still have to find Sora, the keyblade master!"

"I know Sora!" Jack exclaimed.

"Really?"

"Yes! He came through here not too long ago. Funny-he mentioned something about forgetting someone. Anyway, you can probably still catch up to him, if you hurry."

"Then I should get moving! Thanks so much for all your help!" She darted out of the lab as fast as she could run, and the door swung shut behind her.

"I hope she remembers, doctor." Jack said.

"You and me both." Dr. Finkelstien responded. "Wait a minute! Look! The memories are disappearing!" They both watched as the body on the table slowly faded away until it completely vanished.

"I guess whoever forgot remembered her." Jack said. "Well that's good."

----

"Oh my god!" Sora suddenly exclaimed. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is it, Sora?" Donald asked.

"Er, are you okay?" Goofy asked hesitantly.

"I just remembered I forgot Cedeile!" he shouted.

"Um…who are you talking about?" Donald asked.

"You can't tell me that you guys don't remember Cedeile! She's my best friend from the island, and she's the heartblade master too! And Ryu and Aru were with her-and we felt her in this castle! I really did forget her!"

"I have no idea who you're talking about!" Donald said, annoyed. "Now come on! You want to save Namine, don't you?"

"Of course." Sora answered. "And Cedeile would want to know Namine was alright, too. When we meet up with her, I'll have to tell her all about Namine. I wonder if she forgot about her too."

"You're crazy Sora. You said there was only one girl with you on the island." Donald replied as they started walking again.

"That's because this castle made me forget."

"Maybe Cedeile is like Namine-she was a memory buried deep within Sora's heart!" Goofy proposed.

"No! I know that Cedeile was with us. Don't you guys remember when the two keyblades hit her? Then Ryu, Aru, and us went to End of the World, and Aru started to get sick? Then, we fought Ansem together! And Hikari Tagami appeared and explained what had been going on? And Ansem took all the fragments Ryu had and brought Silvia back! And we brought Cedeile back from the darkness, too!" Sora told them all.

"I think you make this stuff up." Donald replied.

"It's true!" Sora insisted. "You didn't like Aru cause she was better at magic than you. And because of Hikari Tagami's aura."

"Yeah right, Sora. Someone better at magic than me?"

"Could be true, a-yuk!" Goofy added.

"No way!" Donald angrily shouted.

"You guys have to remember. I can't believe I forgot about someone so important to me…" Sora frowned and looked sad. "Especially since I was so worried about her."

"What was her name again?" Goofy asked.

"I thought I told you already! It was…was…" He stopped walking and crossed his arms in thought. "Damn! I forgot again! Stupid Castle Oblivion." He shrugged his shoulders and continued on, slowly forgetting everything that had just come back to him. In his mind, there was only Namine and Riku-his two friends from the island.

----

6H: End of this chapter!

Anaretsu: …okay.

6H: See you all in chapter 26!


	26. Floor 26:Those Who Do Not See, and

6H: Welcome back all, to chapter 26!

Anaretsu: And, prey tell, what will occur in this chapter?

6H: You'll all just have to read to find out!

Anaretsu: I was afraid of that.

6H: Dedicated to my friend, the 2 of Clubs, who had to move away last summer but is back in the state for visiting!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 26-Those Who Do Not See, and Those Who Can't Help But See

----

Lakchine leaned against the white orb, smirking at him. He sighed.

"I told you." She stated. "Now, let me handle her. You've had enough fun."

"No way." Axel told her. "You'll just destroy her without a thought."

"Isn't that what Marucia wants?" She sneered. He glared back and clenched his teeth. Suddenly, footsteps came in behind them. It was Vixen, and he seemed to be in poor shape. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he staggered with each step. The two looked at him with raised eyebrows and questioning glances. He raised his eyes, and seemed to be very angry.

"It was that woman!" Vixen yelled.

"Excuse me?" Axel asked.

"Hikari Tagami! She did this to me!"

"Couldn't handle an old spirit, Vixen?" Lakchine taunted.

"Watch yourself, Lakchine. I'm not in the best of moods. And that accursed half angel-demon of mine got in the way!"

"Why am I not surprised? It must be pretty angry with you, since you left it for that fake Riku." Axel shrugged, walking to the wall.

"What do you know?" Vixen shot back.

"Alright, old man-calm yourself down." Lakchine said. "So, Axel-can I take on the heartblade master?" Axel sighed.

"What do I care? Go, but make sure she stays in tact. It might be interesting if we let her live."

"I'm not completely careless." That was her last line before she disappeared into the other halls of the castle. Vixen slowly rose to his feet and wiped blood away from his mouth. Axel looked back at the scientist.

"So, how is our friend Hikari?" he asked, only sounding slightly interested.

"A completely selfish bitch." Vixen retorted. "She's no angel-she's just as much a sinner as the rest of us, maybe even lower. I think she's actually playing with the lives of the masters."

"Really?" Axel replied half-heartedly.

"I lost track of her though. She's no longer in the basements."

"Then where did she go? Back to the dream castle?"

"No, I don't believe she did. Do you feel that overwhelming aura? She's here-somewhere."

"And what do I care?"

"That's right. You're only interested in Sora, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Because he became a heartless?"

"That's about right."

"Axel, for god's sake, look directly at me and at least pretend you're paying attention!" Vixen yelled. Axel turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder. His green eyes were narrow.

"What?" He said tersely.

"The heartblade master is special in that way too. You saw it as well-when those keyblades pierced her body and sent her heart and soul reeling. She was able to keep her heart and soul together while her body was in shock. That, too, is an amazing feat. And she never fell to the NEO Zone. She was even able to pull her trinity back together. You can't tell me that all that doesn't catch your attention." Axel thought for a moment when Vixen's ranting ceased. He sighed, shook his head, and laughed.

"She's got a bad temper." He replied. He turned and walked past Vixen and out of the room.

"That's all you have to say, Axel?" Vixen asked. "You are an odd one. I wonder what you're thinking…"

----

Cedeile exited the 6th floor and made her way up to the hall just before the 7th floor. She was just about to mount the stairs for the next world when she heard laughter. She stopped dead and looked around.

"You're like a little lost mouse wandering in a maze." A female voice said. Cedeile took out the heartblade and waited. Behind her, Lakchine came into view, holding her throwing knives. She tossed out the ones in her right hand towards Cedeile's back. Cedeile turned, dodged the knives, and ran right up to Lakchine.

"HOLY PURIFICATION!" She yelled. Lakchine was ready.

"Thunder!" A lighting bolt and the light cross flew past each other. Lakchine dodged the attack meant for her, while Cedeile was hit dead on with the lightning and hit the floor. Lakchine laughed. "Well that was easy." She remarked. Cedeile sat up.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"The name's Lakchine. I heard your memories were pretty sparse."

"Are you with Axel?" Cedeile asked.

"Sort of. He's a real pain though. One minute, he's all like 'Let's kill the heartblade master!' and then he's like 'Let's let her live so things get more interesting.' It's annoying!"

"Well, are you on the same side?

"Are you stupid or something? Yes, we're on the same side-more or less." Lakchine responded. "Although, I have to say that you are a little more interesting than your friend Sora."

"You've met Sora?" Cedeile asked, standing up.

"I fought him, yes. And reminded him of who he was looking for."

"Who is he looking for?"

"Namine. He thinks he made some kind of promise to her or something. But such is the magic of this castle. To lose is to find, and to find is to lose."

"Wait, wait, just hold on-why am I not losing anything? As I go farther, I remember more and more things, but I don't forget anything."

"Who knows? Namine's not using her magic on you." Lakchine responded. She called back her knives and they reappeared in her right hand, one cradled between each of her knuckles. "Here's an idea-let's play a little. It'll be fun!" Cedeile smirked and readied herself.

"Okay. I'm a little bored myself." Without another word, the two were off.

----

Marucia stood behind the chair, looming over Namine as she delicately sketched in on her picture. He smirked.

"You're doing so well. Soon, he'll be here, and then nothing will stop me from gaining the power of the keyblade." Namine sighed sadly. Marucia noticed that her pencil stopped and now rested above the paper. Furiously, he grabbed her arm and forced the pencil back down. "Proceed!" was all he yelled. His powerful voice echoed off the walls. She gazed at him out of the corner of her eye, frightened, and shakily began to work again.

----

Lakchine threw three of her knives at Cedeile and she came at her. Two of them tore threw her vest, and the other one found a place in her left shoulder. She ignored it and slashed the heartblade diagonally. The stream of light hit its target, forcing Lakchine backwards.

Cedeile landed on her feet and took off again, exploding forward at her opponent. Lakchine raised her hand to the air.

"Thunder!" The lightning bolt hit in front of her, making her slide to a halt. "Thunder!" Another bolt hit her and sent her back. Lakchine threw her other knives, but Cedeile dodged them. With a snap of her fingers, the knives disappeared, and then came back, flying in the other direction behind her. Cedeile gasped and tried to dodge them, but they all lodged themselves in her back. Lakchine summoned them back to her and secured them in her fingers once again.

"HOLY PURIFICATION!" Cedeile yelled. Lakchine couldn't block it. Cedeile jumped up behind her attack and struck at the same time it hit. She pulled off a nice combo before Lakchine knocked her back. The two girls stood, glaring at each other. But there wasn't much bad blood between them. Cedeile would go as far to think that she was enjoying the fight. Lakchine smiled.

"This is fun. I knew I'd like playing with you." She told the heartblade master.

"Thanks. I pride myself on that." Cedeile replied.

"You know, they're all underestimating you. They're too busy fooling with Sora."

"How far ahead of me is he? I have to meet him-he can help me remember everything."

"He's about a floor ahead of you. But I'm not about to let you two meet. Because if you do, he might remember."

"Why?"

"Is it true? Did you really come over from the dream castle?" Lakchine asked without answering Cedeile's question.

"I'm not sure. I woke up in a dark void, and can't really remember much before that."

"Then it is true. You came through the mirror." Lakchine relaxed her stance and crossed her arms, knives still ready, should Cedeile attack.

"Tell me about the dream castle." Cedeile said.

"I don't really know much about, except that as long as Castle Oblivion has been here, so has that one. We only know it as the dream castle, because it keeps changing its face. But the outer face hides the true dream castle inside. And its ruler is even more of an enigma. He controls all the floors and sets up each one to project the dreams of whoever's playing his game. And he himself keeps changing his form. I've never seen the real him, but Marucia and the superior have. It seems like he's powerful, but I've never heard of him actually fighting at all. He has his servants to fight for him." Lakchine explained.

"Why is it connected to this one?" Cedeile asked.

"I'm not sure. Something about a special bond between memories and dreams. But these mirrors bind us to it, all the same. It's annoying because sometimes people wander over here and mess around."

"And none of you guys have gone over there and fought this guy who rules the dream castle?" Lakchine laughed.

"Are you nuts? None of us are strong enough to take HIM on! The superior is the only one who might stand a chance, but come on! Some of us think he's really an angel! We're just nobodies-we can't stand up to an angel!"

"Geez, sorry I asked." Cedeile replied. "But what's so special about me and Sora? I know he's the keyblade master, and I'm the heartblade master, but so what? What does any of that mean?"

"It means you guys are the saviors of the universe. You two will open the door to the light." Lakchine explained.

"You realize that means absolutely nothing to me, since I can't remember it at all."

"Maybe it should stay that way. Oh, I'll take back my knife that's stuck in your shoulder, there." Cedeile had forgotten about that. She reached over and pulled it out of her flesh, and then flicked it back at Lakchine. She caught it with ease and smirked. "Thanks. Shall we finish up?"

"Sure." Cedeile replied, and took the heartblade up again.

----

Marucia watched Namine's work carefully. Everything had to go according to his plan, down to the finest detail. Overthrowing the organization would not be easy-it needed to be handled carefully. And that would only happen if Namine did her job right. Marucia let his thoughts linger to the power of the keyblade, and how powerful it would be. The thought of it almost being in his grasp made him delighted. Although Doriko would be a problem when all was said and done and the two masters were disposed of, he'd handle that later. So what if he didn't have Silvia? Doriko didn't need to know about that.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by footsteps entering the room. He looked over and saw a hooded figure at the door. He smiled.

"Ah. Back so soon? I thought you were handling the heartblade master, Axel. Anyway, I need her gotten rid of as soon as possible. And Hikari Tagami as well. No doubt that mage will be a major thorn in our side." Marucia said the figure supposed to be Axel. Axel, however, did not move or respond. Marucia stood and left Namine's chair.

"What is it? Go and do as I say, Axel! The superior left me in charge!" He commanded. Axel remained silent as ever, and moved his hand to his zipper on his coat. He slowly pulled down. Marucia gasped. The coat slid off the figure. It was not Axel. "You-! How'd you get in here?" Marucia stammered angrily, taking out his scythe.

Standing before him was Agent 427 of the Trinity Soldiers. She smirked at him and drew out her blade.

"It's time to repay me for what you did to my home, Marucia!" 427 said.

"You think you stand a chance? I can see through your faulty technology. You're no match for me."

"See for yourself." She replied. She ran at him. He slashed his scythe out at her, but she ducked underneath it and raised her blade to his neck. He smirked and took a step back. He drew his scythe in, hoping to cut her in two from behind, but she did a black flip and landed on the other side of the blade. Marucia cursed and went for her again, thrusting his weapon forward. She blocked and parried his attack. Namine gasped and stood up, her sketchbook falling off her lap and to the floor.

"Namine!" Marucia yelled. 427 jumped up above him and kicked into his chest. He fell to the floor, and the scythe went flying. He feebly reached for it, but found his foe's sword tip pointed directly in his face. He grimaced. "What do you want?"

"You and your Organization buddies have been hunting down my comrades and killing them in cold blood. After the destruction of Blue City,our numbers are few as it is."

"What do I care?"

"I'll kill you right here and now and end all your plans." She snapped, anger in her cold eyes.

"Hey, I'm the bottom of the chain as it is. You must be wanting to talk to my superior."

"You'll do. It doesn't matter if I kill you or your 'superior.' It'll be one less Organization member out there killing more soldiers." Namine stood there, frozen. She had no power to do anything. Marucia tried to think of a way to end this now. He was losing precious time before Sora made it to the top floor. "Die here, and now!" 427 thrust her blade forward. In a daring maneuver, Marucia moved slightly to the left, the blade missing his head, grabbed 427's wrist, and threw her down to the floor while he launched himself up onto his feet. He summoned his weapon back to his hand.

"Why don't I give you the honor of dying first!" He said, ready to attack. "BLOSSOM-"

"Lord Marucia!" Namine called. She slid out in front of the attack. Marucia stopped.

"What the hell are you doing, witch? Get back to messing up Sora's memories!"

"Please stop! Don't kill her in front of me! Please?" Marucia pushed her out of the way and knocked her to the floor.

"Know your place!" He yelled and stepped forward to attack, but his target was gone. He cursed loudly and turned on Namine, who was pushing herself up. He grabbed her hair and pulled her up. She cried out. "You stupid fool! You let her get away! Now we have the two masters, Hikari Tagami, AND a Trinity Soldier in Castle Oblivion!"

"I-I'm sorry, Lord Marucia…" Namine said, crying. "I just couldn't stand to-" He shook her violently by her hair and dropped her. She landed on the ground with a thump.

"Namine, it is not your place to chose whether people die or not. If I want to kill someone in front of you, I will. If I wanted to kill Sora, I would. Not shut up and get back to what you're supposed to do. You have no control over your fate-you belong to me!" He crossed his arms and looked at her threateningly. She sighed,slowly got up, and wobbled over to the chair. She picked up her pencil and sketchpad and hesitantly began her work again. Marucia smirked as he stood over her. He had all he needed to get the keyblade. Soon, the Organization would be through.

----

427 caught her breath in the hallway. She had been so close to killing the lord of the castle, but she and ultimately failed. The commander would not like this one bit. She sighed. She had almost gotten into some big trouble back there. No telling what would've happened if that girl hadn't of stepped in. Of course, now there were bigger problems to worry about. She gulped and stood up straight.

"Hikari Tagami is here? Damn, that woman breaks all the laws of the Trinity!" She exclaimed in frustration. Hikari Tagami would have to be gotten rid of. Someone like her, who messed around with the trinity, was dangerous indeed. "The whole universe is in danger of being thrown off balance, and then she comes and tips it further by bypassing the Trinity Laws-one heart, one soul, one body. Not two hearts and souls in one body. That never works!" She ran forward and threw the door in front of her open, disappearing to the other side.

----

"Thunder!" Lakchine yelled. Cedeile dodged the lightning bolt and came up above her.

"HOLY PURIFICATION!" She yelled. Lakchine took it head on and staggered back. Cedeile came up again and the two exchanged five or so blows and flew apart. Cedeile ran up to her, and Lakchine threw her knives out. One slit Cedeile's leg, but she flipped over the rest of them with ease and cast another Holy Purification. Lakchine sunk to her knees. The battle was done.

"Damn it! Another baby defeated me!" She said under her breath, but then smiled. "Then again, maybe this one's a little more grown up."

"Alright, Lakchine. I'm through with playing." Cedeile said, keeping the heartblade pointed at her fallen foe. Lakchine smirked, rested back on her feet, and raised her hands in defeat.

"Okay, you win-for now, anyway." And with that she disappeared. Cedeile gasped as she faded out.

"Wait! Lakchine!" She yelled, but got no response. She sighed and turned, looking to the door that waited behind her. "Nothing left to do but go forward." She let the heartblade disappear again and walked forward. She grasped the handles and looked up at the door nervously. Then, she pulled them both open and stepped through to the other side. A trail of blood followed her, marking the path that she made.

----

6H: And it's the end of chapter 26. Next time-Cedeile remembers some bloodshed and an old foe.

Anaretsu: Joy.

6H: Time for more KH2 action! (runs to playstation)


	27. Floor 27:The Old Foe, The Old Friend

Anaretsu: Yeah, I know 6H usually starts the chapter, but I can't seem to find her-

6H: (burst through door with wide, tearing eyes)

Anaretsu: Oh good god, what the hell is it now?

6H: (Pointing to PS2 and TV behind her) Roxas is….WAH!

Anaretsu: You're pathetic.

6H: ROXAS! NO!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 27-The Old Foe, The Old Friend

----

Fish. There were fish swimming around her. Was she in the water? No, she could still breath and she wasn't floating. She could walk around freely. Maybe this was part of the castle's magic.

Cedeile stepped forward and looked around. It was like she was at the bottom of an ocean. Was this a place she had visited before? It seemed vaguely familiar.

_"Well, my friends and I happen to be great adventures that travel the oceans helping those in need. I'm Aru the magician, over there is R-and Cedeile, the uh... priestess with healing powers..."_

"I have been here before." Cedeile told herself. "It seems like so long ago, but I was here." She began to walk around, idly looking at her new surroundings. She felt memories flooding back to her, and she could hear them, almost as though they were echoes off the stone walls.

_"You're just a kid! How can you do such advanced magic?"_

_"Yeah, this is my home. Welcome to Atlantica."_

_"I'm not one of them! I've watched too many people get hurt because of them, and I have fought to avenge every one of them! How dare you start telling me I'm in the same league as those demons!"_

_"A collection of mine. These are all the foreign things that have come to our waters. I think they're...from other worlds."_

_"Sorry! Guess I just want to find the fragments and then defeat whoever's causing all this mess."_

She smiled. She could remember being here with Aru, and some other people, who she couldn't quite see clearly just yet. She remembered that she was looking for something called 'fragments' with Aru. But she wondered what the fragments were and why she had looked for them. But still, she was glad she now had a handful of memories to add to her collection.

----

Cedeile walked through a door and found herself in a room different from the others. It seemed she was in some sort of cave. There was a huge collection of different objects resting on the rock wall shelves.

"I remember this place. This is all Ariel's collection. She wanted to go to outside worlds…" She told herself. She smiled. It felt good to remember.

"Is someone in here?" A voice asked. Cedeile turned and smiled.

"Hi, Ariel." Cedeile said. Ariel came around the corner and gasped.

"How'd you get in here?"

"It was easy." Cedeile answered easily.

"…Do I know you? I'm sorry, but I feel like I should know you, even though we haven't met."

"It's okay. Until just a moment ago, I didn't remember you either." Cedeile replied. "So, did you ever make it to other worlds like you wanted to?"

"How'd you know about that?"

"We have met before. But it was awhile ago."

"I see. What was your name, again?"

"I'm Cedeile." Ariel thought for a moment, and looked distressed.

"The name doesn't sound familiar. Are you sure that you've met me before?" She asked, sitting on a rock the jutted out from the floor. Cedeile sat next to her.

"I'm pretty sure. When I came here, I just started to remember some many things I'd done here. But there are still some things I can't see clearly. I know I came here with my friend Aru, but I think there was a bunch of other people with us. And I was looking for fragments, but I can't remember what they were or why I was looking for them." She sighed. "I was happy at first that I remembered so much, but now I realize it's just a little bit of a huge picture I can't see."

"You want to remember very badly, don't you?"

"Uh-huh. Is there a way to remember everything all at once?" she asked. Ariel thought for a moment.

"Well, there is the sea witch, but…she's dangerous. You can't go see her, Cedeile." Cedeile stood up and clenched her one hand into a fist.

"I have to. I need to remember-according to Lakchine, I'm one of the saviors of the universe. That sounds really important. Besides, Aru is out there somewhere. She might need my help. And I may never catch up to Sora at this rate." She turned back to her friend and weakly smiled. "I'll take the risk."

"Do you know Sora?"

"I heard that he could help me remember."

"He was just here a little while ago. He helped me out. Don't give up, Cedeile-maybe you will find him."

"Still, I'll check out this sea witch before I leave here. Thanks again." She walked past her and towards the door.

"Cedeile…I'll try to remember you." Ariel called. Cedeile smiled.

"Thanks."

----

It didn't take long to find a door that led to the lair of the sea witch. She cautiously entered and lingered by the doorway for a moment. The screeching from the floor was vaguely familiar to her ears as she dared to wander farther in. She moved aside some seaweed hanging from the ceiling aside with the back of her hand and peered inside. A figure was moving about, humming and throwing different shaped glass bottles into a giant cauldron in the center of the room. Cedeile stepped inside.

"Hello? I'm looking for the sea witch…" Cedeile dared to call out. The figure stopped, put her hands on the edge of the cauldron and peered over at her. It was a girl with black, shoulder length hair and a light blue tail. She frowned at Cedeile.

"She's not in. What do you want?" the girl asked. Cedeile's eyes went wide.

"I know you!" She exclaimed.

"No you don't. I've never met you before." The girl spat.

_"Oh, we forgot to ask your name! I'm Cedeile, and this jerk here is…"_

"I'm...Makota..."

"Makota…" Cedeile said quietly. Makota's eyes widened a bit. "How do you know my name?" she asked, scared. "I remember. You wanted to help your brother, Kirisu. But, there's no way you can be here…no way…this isn't real…" Cedeile mumbled to herself.

"What do you mean? How do you know Kirisu!"

_"No! She's going to change back my brother for me! It's in this contract!"_

_"You did NOT take care of her! You didn't hold up your deal!"_

_"Stop him! Use your light from your weapon!"_

_"KIRISU!" Makota screamed. She swam to exit the area. Cedeile went to stop her._

_"No, Makota! You'll be crushed if you-!"_

_They never did anything to you! You destroyed their lives without a reason and then, when you promised to bring them back together, you deceived and killed them! WHY!"_

"You're…dead. You were killed by Ursula. I remember-I saw you. You and your brother died." Cedeile said in horror.

"What are you talking about? I'm not dead! And how do you know about my brother? You're trying to separate us, aren't you?" Makota accused. Cedeile put her hands up and shook her head.

"No, Makota! I was trying to help you back then, but I couldn't. If only I could have stopped your death. Maybe I should have purified your brother…" Then a thought came into her head-who stopped her? She remembered Makota screaming at her to purify Kirisu, but someone told her not to. Who was it?

"You're crazy. Maybe I should just get rid of you!" Makota summoned up magic from the cauldron and threw it at Cedeile. It threw her against the back wall, and she slid down to the floor. "You're really weak." Cedeile sighed, and looked up at Makota. She suddenly jumped up and began to run at her.

"I couldn't save you then, and I probably can't now-but, damnit, I'm gonna try!" Cedeile jumped up above her. "HOLY PURIFICATION!" Makota used magic to make a shield. The attack bounced back, but Cedeile moved out of the way and landed on her feet just in time.

"Just die already!" Makota yelled. "Nothing's going to stop me from helping my brother!" Another wave of magic came at Cedeile. She ducked underneath it.

"I can't die-not yet!" Cedeile yelled. She pointed the heartblade at her. "I have a feeling…that many people are counting on me!" Suddenly, the heartblade changed shape-it became much longer, and the heart on top became silver. Ribbons trailed down from two spheres on either side of the heart. She heard a voice echo in the back of her head-

_Cedeile's eyes turned into a look of hatred. Riku's eyes became sad, like he could cry. "No, don't look at me like that." he said softly._

_'I HAVE TO HELP MY FRIENDS!'_

_"Be purified! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU HEARTLESS!"_

She knew what to do. The heartblade's miracle form began to shine with an intense light. 

"Take it-LAST SECOND MIRACLE!" The whole room erupted in an explosion of light.

When it cleared, Cedeile was alone at the bottom of a ridge. She sat on her legs on a rock and sighed, the heartblade resting in her left hand. She looked up to the sky above her and let some tears fall.

'I couldn't save you then, and I couldn't save you then. But you were just a memory-I had to remember your death, huh?' she thought as she let all the tears fall. It was odd; she felt like she'd been holding back tears for a long time.

Ever since she was very young…

----

6H: Roxas…. sniff

Anaretsu: Will you stop that?

6H: ROXAS!

Anaretsu: Good god, please make her shut up!

6H: Leave a review if you like the story…oh, Roxas! (Runs off crying)

Anaretsu: I wish I could die now…


	28. Floor 28:Cedeile and the AngelDemon

6H: …(playing KH2)

Anaretsu: No cheesy intro?

6H: …

Anaretsu: I could get used to this…

6H: Come on, Mulan! Don't just stand there like dead lump! Give me a freakin potion!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 28-Cedeile and the Angel-Demon: The First Encounter

----

For a long time, it seemed. But it felt reliving that she could now cry. She knew it wasn't just about Makota-there seemed to be so much other stuff that had been piling on top of each other. She had tired to suppress her feelings, but now it was too much-she had to let it out.

Cedeile wiped her eyes. Right now, there were things to do, so she had to pull herself together and get going. She stood up, brushed off her shorts, and walked to the next door. It led to another under-water room with an open door at the end, which must lead to the next floor. She ran across the room and went through the door.

----

Now she was in the hallway. She walked up the huge flight of stairs to the next floor and began to think. Her heartblade had changed forms, but it didn't seem odd to her-it was as if she had used that attack several times before. Last Second Miracle-she knew it was super powerful, but it was a very random attack that she couldn't use all the time. She thought that maybe she had only used it three times before she remembered it.

'What makes it work? Is it all just left up to chance?' she thought. 'Miracle form, and Last Second Miracle…both seem familiar to me. I must be getting closer to remembering more.'

She reached the top of the stairs and stopped. In the center of the room stood a tall figure with gray wings and gray clothes. She (Cedeile assumed it was a 'she') had dark brown hair that was tied into a loop, the ends resting on her shoulders. Cedeile looked at the figure.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I have no name. I am a half angel-demon." It told her.

"What's an angel-demon?" Cedeile asked.

"You've never heard of one?" It asked.

"Nope. So, what is it?"

"They are the children of Twilight. Just as demons belong to dark, and humans to light."

"Okay…I still don't get it." Cedeile replied. The angel-demon sighed.

"You won't have to. I'm going to kill you."

"What? Why? I didn't do anything!" Cedeile yelled. It drew out its two magic swords. Cedeile looked at them in awe.

"Nothing personal. I just want everyone dead." It told her as it came right at her. Cedeile thought quickly and jumped up high enough to go over the angel-demon. She landed behind it and got the heartblade out in her hand. She dashed forward as it turned around and slashed across with one of its swords that levitated a few inches from its palms. Cedeile slid just out of its range and struck with her weapon. It staggered back a few steps, but came back at full force, slashing in an X with both blades. Cedeile leaped back and landed on the balls of her feet. She put a hand on the ground for balance and launched herself around the angel-demon. Just before it turned around, Cedeile planted her free hand on the floor and launched both of her feet up and into her foe's back. It stumbled forward and dispelled its swords. Cedeile back-flipped into a stand position again.

"You're kind of weird." The angel-demon told her.

"I know. You never saw it coming!" Cedeile bragged, sticking her tongue out.

"But, can you keep it up much longer?" It asked, getting into an offensive stance. Cedeile smirked and grasped the heartblade in two hands.

"I think so." The angel-demon came at her as fast as the wind. "Ah!" Cedeile ducked and it passed over her. It flapped its wings to raise itself higher off the ground and then summoned wind magic.

"Take this-Twilight Gale!" It yelled. A huge gust came at her and raised her into the air. It threw her about in a gray vortex of a storm. From out of nowhere, the angel-demon came and soared right past her. She gritted her teeth together as she felt her skin tear open and spray out fresh blood. The storm threw her in another direction and right into the outstretched arms of her foe. She hovered for a moment before all ten claws were injected into her body. She yelled in agony, and then again when they were withdrawn.

The winds hurled her again, the opposite way, and then again another way. Suddenly, everything started going very fast as she was swung around like a rag doll, until she met the floor with great force that the marble cracked a bit. The winds cleared and all there was in the room was the two fighters. Cedeile felt some of the little puncture holes in her flesh as her white shirt was stained a light coral color. She pushed herself on her hands and knees, and then, slowly to her feet, each movement allowing some more blood to pump out of the new exits in her circulation.

"Does it hurt?" The angel-demon asked. Cedeile turned to face it.

"Not at all." She returned. "Do you really have no name?"

"Yes."

"Well that's no good. I'll have to think of one for you."

"A wasted effort. I don't deserve to have a name, apparently." Cedeile ignored her and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'll think of something good."

"I didn't attack you to hear you talk. Now if you give up now I'll kill you swiftly and end it." It said angrily. Cedeile laughed.

"No way. I can't die. I've got some stuff to do first. You know, you remind me a lot of this half-demon I used to know. Her name was Kana."

"Do you really think I care?"

"Yup. You are a lot like Kana."

"Shut up. I'm going to kill you!" It came towards her, the five claws on its right hand unleashed. Cedeile dodged them and slipped underneath its hand. It turned its palm and tried to strike her but she moved out of reach and flipped into the wall. She pushed off it with her feet and went at the angel-demon with the heartblade.

"Holy Purification!" She yelled. The cross hit as Cedeile flew into the angel-demon. She tackled it to the floor where she tried to pin its arms down. Instead, it jammed its nails into her left arm, and, with them still piercing her skin, threw her into the stairs. Cedeile bounced up and jumped up above it, bringing the heartblade down in a vertical slash. It went through the angel-demon in a stream of light. It was phased for a moment, an opportunity that Cedeile took well advantage of by landing several hits. When it could fight back, it did, and unleashed the fury of its wind magic again.

"Twilight Gale!" Cedeile was once again brought up into the winds and thrown around like a lifeless sack. She was slammed into the ground so hard that she flew up again into a wall and slunk back down to the floor. She staggered a bit getting up and used the wall for support. Blood trickled down from a cut above her left eye, and her right hand was crushed-completely useless in this battle. It felt like one of her kneecaps might of popped too, but she wasn't exactly sure which one, because the angel-demon's nails in the storm had punctured both. The angel-demon laughed at her.

"What's so funny?" Cedeile asked.

"You keep getting up, even though each time your chance of winning and making it out alive are slimmer and slimmer." It told her. The heartblade master sighed. If only she knew how to get Last Second Miracle to work. Her opponent was about to come right at her again when some kind of weapon was thrown at her. The weapon pierced its forehead and then flew back to its wielder. Cedeile recognized it….

"What are you doing here?" The angel-demon asked, blood trickling down its face.

"Ah. We had been wondering what was assaulting us in our castle. First you tore apart Vixen's replica, and then that Riku kid in the basements, then Hikari Tagami, and now the heartblade master."

"Axel!" Cedeile yelled, turning and looking up on the stairs. The red-haired man smiled at her.

"Hello there, Cedeile. Remembered anything else recently?" She pushed off the wall and stumbled towards him, trying to stay up on her feet.

"Wait till I get my hands on you for what you did to Kageki!" She yelled, pointing the heartblade at him.

"No 'thank you' for saving you from this…deformed thing?" He said, pointing to the angel-demon.

"I'm not just a 'thing!'" It barked back. He laughed.

"It's so cute when it's trying to pretend it has worth." He mocked. Cedeile growled.

"Don't say things like that! It has worth-I know it does! Even if you say it doesn't!" She yelled. He shifted his gaze to her.

"You don't have much worth yourself. Where's that friend of yours? She'll tell you all you need to know!" He said, smirking. "Anyway, I was sent to stop this mismatched creation from killing you. Seems now Marucia wants you alive."

"Marucia? Who's that?"

"Since it won't make a difference if I tell you," He murmured to himself, "He's the lord of Castle Oblivion. The superior put him in charge while he's gone. Now Marucia's got this plan to use the power of the keyblade against the organization or something."

"Why? I thought you were all part of the organization." Cedeile asked.

"We are, but some of us have become…discontent."

"I'll kill you all, sooner or later, as long as you stay in this castle." The angel-demon said, stepping forward. Axel gave it a bored look.

"Oh? You again. I thought you went off into your portal of darkness."

"Did you hear me? I've vowed to take my revenge and kill everyone in this castle!" It yelled.

"Sure you will. Just like you killed Riku and Hikari Tagami."

"I thought that boy and the replica I was replaced with were killed."

"The boy somehow survived and Vixen fixed his precious replica." Axel explained indifferently. "Are you done angst-ing now? It's really annoying." The angel-demon glared and went to attack. Axel was ready, though, and cast a wall of fire in front of him. It hit the wall and was thrown back into the room.

"Are you alright?" Cedeile asked. It stood, gave Axel a final glare, and disappeared into its portal. Cedeile looked back at Axel as he dispelled the flames.

"I'm surprised you care about that thing at all." He said.

"Why do you call it a 'thing?'" She asked.

"Because that's all it is to us. Vixen made it in his lab-fooled around with some pretty dangerous powers, you know? It's kind of creepy-it used to just wander around in the basements. I'd never really gotten a good look at it before." He explained. Cedeile slowly nodded. "By the way, why don't you stop bleeding all over the floor." He waved his arm and all of her injuries were healed. "Remember that? It's cure magic. Can't have you turning our white floor red."

"Where is Sora? Is he still far ahead of me?" she asked.

"He's right before the tenth floor, fighting Maleficent the dragon." Axel said. "Better hurry if you want to meet him-though you have to survive long enough."

"I will!" She declared. "Bet on it!"

"Right." He turned his back to her.

"You aren't gonna fight me?" She asked, shocked.

"I just had orders to make sure you stayed alive. Be grateful." And he disappeared. Cedeile sighed, but remembered that she had to catch Sora. She ran up to the door and forced one of them open so that she could pass through to the next floor."

----

Anaretsu: (watching 6H)

6H:..(In a puddle of drool with a controller in hand.)

Anaretsu: I think the chapter ended.

6H: ….


	29. Floor 29:Temptation

6H: All right! I'm taking a timeout from my KH2 spree to try and get this story moving!

Anaretsu: Damn. I liked it when you stayed quiet.

6H: Okay, okay. Anyway, let's head off to Neverland for chapter 29, and find out what happened to Ryu.

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 29-Temptation

----

He felt like he had been climbing the stairs forever. They just kept twisting up and up through the rose colored stairwell as though they might reach heaven. He sighed as he rested against a railing for a few moments.

"Damn." Ryu said out loud to himself. "This stairway never ends! Did Cerulean send me here on purpose?" He thought for a moment and then continued to climb the stairs until he came upon a landing. He stepped out on the floor and saw a dark gold door glittering in front of him. He pulled the handle and stepped inside.

Ryu nearly tripped and fell on the floor in shock. This room he was now in didn't seem like it could be a room at all. There were so many things in it, it didn't seem like there could be any structure built to contain it all. The walls and ceiling might've existed somewhere in the distance, but he could not see them. There was a clear path leading to a tall throne at the top of a long line of steps. On either side of him there were piles of gold, chest filled with the finest treasures on earth, valuable pieces of jewelry and the finest weapons ever made. On golden, canopy beds carved of the finest and rarest woods, laying on the finest gold silk sheets slept beautiful women of all hair and skin tones, with the softest looking skin and most delicate looking features, and dressed in the finest gold gowns. Leaning against different piles of treasure were the most masterful paintings in finely carved frames, each making him want to stop and stare at them.

At the end of the aisle, he found a grand feast laid out upon a golden table, with golden chairs set around it. It was the grandest feast he'd ever seen, with foods he'd never seen before, all surely delicacies from all over the universe. On the tables were golden candlesticks, whose golden candles were lit with a golden flame. In the center of the table was a huge, gold fountain with an angel at the top holding up an elegant crown.

He finally had reached the base of the throne and looked up at it. The stairs were lined with a scarlet carpet. Behind the throne was a massive army of expertly equipped men, all bowed and awaiting an order. The army stretched back forever, it seemed. Ryu turned to look back at the room and now saw several thousand servants standing off in the wings, also waiting to serve at their master's word. Ryu gaped in awe.

"What is all this? Who does this all belong to?" He thought out loud.

"You, Ryosuke." A voice said. He turned and pulled out his huge blade, expecting an attack. Coming down the stairs was Cerulean, but her outfit was all pink instead of blue. He slightly lowered his weapon, but kept his guard up.

"Cerulean…" he spat. She shook her head.

"No. My name is Rose." She told him.

"How'd you know my name?" He asked. She didn't answer.

"Welcome to the room of desire." She said, gesturing to everything that lay before him. "Everything in this room is everything you could possibly ever want. You have servants to serve you, an invincible army to do your will, a grand throne on which to sit, a feast to partake of, and all the treasures of the world."

"So basically, this is all an illusion." He said. She smiled at him and walked over to the table and down to the fountain in the center of the table. He followed her warily, unsure of what to think of this new foe. It was so bizarre how similar her looks were to Cerulean-the same hairstyle, the same facial features-nearly everything. Yet the personality was different. He sheathed his sword, figuring it'd be okay even if she attacked.

Rose lifted the crown that the angel was holding and held it in her own hands, examining it. He watched as the light shone off of it as she moved it with the slightest movement of her fingers.

"This room reflects what's in everyone's heart. It's an illusion, but one that can easily be entered. The longer you stay, the more your heart will long for these and other possessions, and the harder it will be to leave." She told him.

"So this is all a trick to get me to stay, right? So that I don't go and try to find Aru and continue with my mission."

"This is all within your own heart, given a physical form."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Does it have to? What's so bad about staying when you have all this before you?"

"I have to find Aru, and I have to continue my fight."

"Do you want to fight?"

"What! Well, sometimes I don't, but mostly, I want to because I want to save the worlds from destruction, even if there's much I can't do."

"But that's all Sora problem, isn't it? That's what you really wanted to say." Rose stopped moving the crown and looked up at him with her brown eyes. He frowned.

"What do you know about Sora?"

"Only what you know, and your feelings about him. You want his power to be able to make a difference, don't you?" A keyblade appeared on the table. She stepped forward and placed the crown on his head and then turned and picked up the mystic weapon in her hand. She rested the tip in her other hand and held it horizontally. "You want to be the keyblade master. You want the power that comes with it, and the honor of being one of the masters. Why should he get the almighty weapon that can drive back the darkness? You were the one that trained since you were a child. You saw your brother die in front of you, and felt his warm blood in your hands, not Sora. Sora grew up without any worries or cares. He lived on a beautiful island and played everyday with his friends. He didn't fight demons or trained to be a warrior. He never grew up in fear that someday his whole heritage might die out for good. He grew up as a normal kid, while you hid in the shadows and became a fragment hunter, and a traditional warrior by the ways of your clan." She paused and looked up from the keyblade to him, and then back to the metal. "He got the respect you so clearly deserved. You had to work hard in your childhood while he never did. When times were bleak, everyone turned to him to give them light and hope, and to lead them into battle. You knew you could fight just as well, no-even better than he could. But everyone undermined you, said you had nothing to do with it. You even had to receive help from Sora when you were dying in a pool of your own blood."

"I never asked him to save me!" Ryu burst out.

"But did you want to die?" He remained silent. "And why did you get in such a position? It was because of him-he put you and your friend Aru in danger. It was all his fault." She looked at him intensely. He guiltily thought for a few moments, avoiding her gaze. At last, he looked up at her.

"What are you trying to get me to do exactly, Rose? This room is enchanted, no doubt. You said yourself this was an illusion, but I think it's more harmful than showing people their deepest desires." He said. She smiled.

"There is a little catch to this room. If you accept all the treasures in this room, you can never leave." She replied. He smirked.

"I thought so."

"So," She raised the keyblade towards him. "What will you do, Ryu?"

----

"Whoa." Cedeile said, looking at the room in front of her. The ground beneath her rocked gently, and the windows showed an inky black sky filled with stars. Inside the wooden room were barrels and boxes. "What is this place?"

She began to mingle about the cargo and explore this new world. She couldn't come up with a probable answer to where she was. Suddenly, Cedeile saw a little flying light come down in front of her.

"Holy crap! Now I'm seeing things!" She exclaimed. She cupped her hands under the light, to try and catch it, but it darted away as she tried to trap it. It floated back in front of her face and saw a little figure inside it. "What is this thing?" Cedeile asked. The figure inside became clearer-it was a small girl with wings out of her back. She crossed her arms and frowned at Cedeile. "What?" Cedeile asked. "Don't look so indignant at me."

A whistle sounded far off, and the tiny girl darted off.

"Hey, wait!" Cedeile called. She tried to run after the light, but it slipped through a crack in the ceiling. She sighed and looked up at the wooden boards. "Well damn." She said to herself. She looked around and found a door to the next room. She went to it, turned the handle, and stepped through, only to be ambushed by pirate-like heartless with swords. She got out her heartblade and jumped into the fray.

"Holy Purification!" She yelled, taking out several of them. Two jumped up behind her, but she swung her heartblade and they flew back from the stream of light. They came at her again, but she twirled the heartblade in front of her like a baton and they hit an invisible shield of light and screamed as they died. She looked at the heartblade, convinced she had done that move before.

_"Hey, hey hey! Wake up already! We've got a lot to tell you!" _

"It has the power to lock the worlds, protecting them from the heartless' grasp. It is another weapon made to stand against darkness." Aerith said. "A very powerful weapon that relies on a strong heart."

One foolish heartless leaped forward. That's when Cedeile snapped into action, and thrust the heartblade in front of her, twirling it in a circle. The heartless hit it and was instantly killed, being purified in the process.

"Whoa…more memories…Yuffie and Aerith…" She murmured to herself. She shook her head. "Wait, I have to stay focused! Now, to find that light…" She found a ladder in the room, which she promptly took. Cedeile hopped up onto the next floor and brushed some dust off her vest.

"Ah…. what have we here?" A voice said. Cedeile looked up and gasped. A tall man with black hair and a hook for a hand looked down at her.

"Who are…" she trailed off, afraid.

"Hey Smee! Looks like we got us a stowaway!" The man said. "Welcome aboard my ship, missy. I'm Captain Hook, the captain of the pirate ship." he said, sneering. She tried to jump back down the ladder shaft, but he grabbed her vest and pulled her back.

"Let me go!"

"You're not goin anywhere, missy." Captain Hook said. "Maybe you should walk the plank and feed the sharks, eh?"

"Cap'n! Peter Pan is-" A short man with glasses came up next to him. Hook turned violently on him and threw Cedeile aside. She flew into a wall and to the floor. Getting up cautiously, she looked around to find a possible exit.

"He's still here causing me trouble! Curse that Peter Pan!" Hook yelled. Cedeile crawled slowly to the door she spotted a few feet away from her. Silently laughing as Hook freaked out more, she quietly turned the handle, opened it just enough for her to slip through, and then closed it behind her.

She was in yet another room that looked similar to the others she had been in. Above her was an opening in the ceiling that led to the deck outside.

"Perfect! All I have to do is get up there…" She thought, and then started to jump to try and reach it. After a fruitless five minutes, she ceased and thought again. There wasn't and ladder or rope she could use to reach it. She'd have to leave and find a different way. Just then, she heard voices coming from above.

"I told you I'll take care of him when the time's right, Tink! These kind of things require strategy, you know!" Cedeile turned and tried to find the source of the voice. It had come from a boy floating above her, all dressed in green. He was talking to the light from before. Wait…he was floating above her…?

"AHH!" Cedeile yelled, banging into the wall behind her. The boy turned and backed away from her.

"Who are you?" They both yelled at each other. The boy exhaled deeply and then put on his usual cheeky attitude.

"I'm Peter Pan!" He told her. The little glowing girl flew down to Cedeile and whizzed around her. "And that's my fairy Tinkerbell!"

"Well, I'm Cedeile." She told him, standing up. "Could you help me get out of here?" Peter shrugged

"I don't see why not. I've got nothing better to do right now." Tinkerbell flew up to him and he grabbed her by one of her wings. "Hold on, Tink! Cedeile needs some of your magic!" He flicked her and a surplus of golden dust flew down and covered Cedeile. "That there's pixie dust! It'll help you fly out of there!" He said.

"How does it work?" Cedeile asked, watching as it disappeared.

"Just believe!" He replied. Cedeile looked at him, skeptic.

"That's really cheesy." She said.

"Hey, it works! What, are you not a kid anymore?"

"I am too a kid!" Cedeile shouted. She clenched her eyelids shut and willed herself to move off the ground. She concentrated so hard, that she blocked out thoughts of everything else. She didn't even hear Peter yelled at her.

"Whoa, Cedeile! Stop, Stop!"

"Why would I-?" Before she could finish her question, she felt her head hit something hard. "Ow! Damnit!" She rubbed the back of her head and looked behind her. "Oh, just a mast…a wha-!" She looked all around herself and gasped. She was hanging in the air, the decks of the pirate ship so far below her.

"Hold on, Cedeile! Are you alright?"

"Holy crap! I'm so high up!" Peter and Tinkerbell gathered around her.

"Pretty neat, huh?" Peter said, crossing his arms with cockiness.

"Hell yes!" she exclaimed. Tinkerbell flew next to her, a sour look on her face. "What's her problem?"

"Ah, Tink gets a little difficult when I meet new girls." He explained.

"So, where am I anyway?" Peter looked at her shocked.

"You're in Neverland!" he exclaimed. "How could you not know?"

"Pretty easily, I guess." She replied, rubbing the back of her head. "It's not like there was a sign. So, is there more to this Neverland place than just an open ocean and Hook's ship?"

"Tons more. But Hook and I have a score to settle. He tried to kidnap Wendy from me, and I'm not about to let him off so easily!" He replied.

"I see. Hey, why don't I help you out?" She offered.

"You? No way! I can do this fine on my own. I certainly don't need a girl's help. You were stupid enough to get caught on this ship!" Cedeile fumed.

"Shut up! I didn't get caught! I walked onto this ship freely!" She yelled, fists clenched.

"You just walked on?" Peter asked.

"Pretty much. Came through a door." She stupidly answered.

"What kind of door?" He asked.

"Magic door, I guess. I trying to get my memories back. I lost them all a little while ago." She explained. "And I'm trying to catch up to Sora. He supposed to be able to help me remember. Has he passed through here recently?"

"Sora? Oh yeah, he was here a little while ago! He helped me find Wendy." He told her. Cedeile smiled to herself. She was almost there-Sora couldn't be too far ahead of her. Lakchine had told her that Sora was on the tenth floor-maybe Cedeile would see him soon.

"Well, if you don't need my help, then I'll just go on ahead and try to catch up to him." She replied, flying down to the ship's deck.

"Fine. Just be careful-I won't save you from Hook again!" Peter called. Cedeile landed on deck and went through a door that led to a room similar to the others in the ship, but there was a door that led out-to the next floor, most likely. She walked through it and found herself in the next hallway.

----

6H: This is where we must end. Next chapter-to Hallow Bastion! And Aru joins up with Cedeile again!


	30. Floor 30:Memory of Death

6H: It is time for chapter 30! We're winding down to the last few floors, and thus the last few chapters.

Anaretsu: Yay.

6H: True. I also want this fic to be done…so I can work on KH2:Shattered Past!

Anaretsu: Huh-wha?

6H: It used to be "Shadows of Past" but I changed the title…again! Look for the preview at the end of this chapter!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 30-Memory of Death

----

The ninth floor was different. She stood outside of a huge, twisted castle, and a sinister feeling hung in the air around her. She sighed as she looked around the golden pipes, crumbling walls, and tiled floors. She'd been here before-she could feel it. She stepped forward.

How Cedeile knew she had been here, she wasn't sure. She reached for the metal chain hanging from her neck, her fingers brushing the silver crown charm hanging off of it. It felt as if the chain had a magical property of its own, and she could feel it radiating a weird feeling. It was as if it was telling her that she had been here, reminding her of what she forgot.

_"Then I could go home...back to my island..." Cedeile said. _

_"Well, after this is all over, why don't you come back to my island with me? My mom would be really glad to take you in. How's that?"_

Distant voices called back to her. She sighed as she stumbled into another room that looked identical to the first.

'This was…the sight of a major battle. It was almost the end of our journey…Aru and I were…almost saying goodbye to each other…' she thought. Suddenly, and image of the navy blue eyes came back to her. She gasped and gripped the crown charm in a tight fist. 'Those eyes…I can't remember the face that goes with them. Why?' she thought. She walked slowly, still tightly gripping the crown hanging off her neck. Why did she feel so dreadful, like something really bad was about to happen to her? What was this place, exactly? Why had she come here? It felt like the answer was so close, but she couldn't quite reach it.

She opened a door in the wall and found herself in a room that was similar to a library. Standing in the center of the room was a girl dressed in a fancy, golden gown. Cedeile dared to close the door behind her.

"Hey there." She called, letting her hand slip down from her necklace. The girl turned.

"Oh, hello there. What brings you here?" She asked kindly.

"I'm looking for someone. Have you seen Sora?" The girl thought.

"I believe I saw him briefly. He just killed Maleficent and then disappeared!"

"Damn. He's already farther ahead of me." Cedeile thought out loud.

"Who are you?" The girl asked.

"My name's Cedeile. How about you?"

"I'm Belle. Maleficent kidnapped me and brought me here, to Hallow Bastion."

_"Well, if you're looking to stop the heartless and Maleficent, you should head to Hallow Bastion now."  
"It's dangerous there, you know. The heartless there are strongest, and it's Maleficent's main hang out."  
"In that there castle is where Maleficent is hiding. And she's got the princesses!"_

Cedeile smiled.

"Belle, are you a princess of heart?" The girl looked startled.

"How'd you know about that?" She asked, surprised.

"I just remembered something from long ago. There are seven maidens that have the purest hearts, and you are one of them." Cedeile explained.

"But that-"

"I'm the heartblade master. I'm part of the legend too." She told her. Belle remained silent. Cedeile grabbed a nearby chair, pulled it in front of her, and sat on it backwards, resting her chin on the back of it. She smirked. "How about you tell me everything you know about this place, and Maleficent." Belle took another nearby chair and sat across from her. She began to think, recalling all she knew.

"Well, seven years ago, Maleficent made Hallow Bastion her base. I don't believe she took it over herself though-someone else helped her."

"Do you know who it was who helped her?"

"No. Besides the heartless, Maleficent was the only other villain here. Anyway, she brought me here to try and get my pure heart for her plans-something about a door and seven roses."

"Okay…this is starting to sound familiar, which is good." Cedeile told her. "So, Sora killed her, so everything's at peace, right?"

"Not quite. The heartless still roam around the lower levels of the castle. But two people have appeared and are fighting them."

"Who are these people?"

"One's a warrior with a fake hand, and the other is a powerful mage. I haven't really seen them myself, but I heard that they live down in the waterways under the castle."

"Do you know anything else about the roses, or what Maleficent was trying to do?"

"She wanted the seven princesses to open some door. That's all I know."

"Okay…" Cedeile sighed and leaned her head back. "I can work with this. I'll just find those two people you mentioned."

"Is that really a good idea? They sound dangerous to me." Belle told her. Cedeile laughed.

"I can fight too. I got some pretty sweet powers myself, so you don't have to worry. I'm sure I can take them myself." Cedeile got up off the chair and stretched out her arms. "If any trouble comes, I can take them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup. They don't call me the heartblade master for nothing. Relax, I'll take them no problem." She walked out of the room and back outside.

----

Cedeile ran into the next room and skidded to a halt. She had no idea how she might get to the waterways. It wasn't like this was actually Hallow Bastion, after all. This was just an image of it from Sora's memories. How could she find the waterway and find those two people?

No more time was left to think-a huge group of heartless appeared around her. Defenders, Dark Balls, Wizards and Wyverns were all waiting to get their piece of the heartblade master. Cedeile smirked. This would be fun.

She slid under a Defender's shield and jumped up, landing on its shoulder. She waved a hand in its face to provoke it, and it moved its shield to knock her off. She jumped out of the way just in time and laughed when it attacked itself. A wizard came from behind her and cast Thunder, but she rolled out of the way and took out the heartblade, pointing at the wizard.

"Later!" She called as she sent a beam of light at it. From behind her came a Dark Ball, ready to smash into her but she ducked and attacked it from behind. Another one, however, came in from behind and the two crashed into her and smashed her between them. That move knocked the wind out of her and she fell back to the floor when they pulled apart. She didn't have much time to rest because the two Defenders from before came at her with their huge shields. One cast fire and the other blizzard, so she had to run quick. She was able to avoid the attack, but came face to face with two other Wyverns. She hit them several times with attacks, but only one disappeared. The other charged across the field, inflicted damage onto her. She got up again and brushed off the small pebbles and dirt that had been imbedded into her new scrape. This was nothing.

She was about to attack again when a shadow appeared above her and then landed heavily in front of her. She saw a red cape blowing in front of her, and a gun raised up into the air.

"Alright, all of you…get out." There were three, loud shots that hurt Cedeile's ears, and then a rain of thunder bolts crashed down into each of the heartless that surrounded them. Cedeile looked up at the intruder's back. Long black hair blew out behind him. He turned to face her, and she saw a red band tied around his head, and dark, cold eyes. He looked down at her.

"I could've taken them. It's not like I was in grave danger-they were all pretty easy." She told him.

"They are our enemies." He answered simply.

"'Our?'" Cedeile turned behind her and saw a lady with long black hair. She wore a heavy black dress with a very low neckline. The edges of her sleeves and the hem of her dress were lined with lace.

"I suppose you got rid of them all." She stated to the man.

"For now, anyway. More will come." Cedeile looked back and forth between them, very confused.

"Who the hell are you people!" She asked loudly. The lady smirked a bit.

"I'm Lulu." She answered simply.

"Vincent." The other one answered.

"Are you the two that live down in the waterways of the castle?"

"Yes we are." Lulu said, walking towards them gracefully. Vincent turned his back to them both. "We're trying to get rid of all the heartless that Maleficent left. This is our former home."

"You live in Hallow Bastion?"

"It was not always like this. Seven years ago, it was a beautiful place." She said. Vincent began walking towards a door. Lulu followed him wordlessly. Cedeile sighed, and decided she'd follow them too. They entered a huge room in darkness-it looked to be some sort of hall. Vincent walked down towards the end and stopped in front of a large painting. Cedeile could just make it out in the darkness-it was a bunch of kids standing on either side of a throne. The throne in the middle, however, had been scratched away and all that remained was white canvas.

"This is a painting of us with our king and the princess, but someone took the king out. We can't even remember what he looked like, or what our princess's name was, or even who these people are in this picture!" Vincent said angrily.

"We are in this painting, but I can't really believe that it's us. We look so young and…at peace with ourselves…" Lulu added. Cedeile moved closer to get a better look.

"Hey! That looks like Leon! And Yuffie and Aerith and Cloud! And even Tifa! Do you guys know all them?"

"Leon, Yuffie, and Tifa…?" Lulu repeated. "I don't think I've ever heard those names."

"How do you know these people?" Vincent questioned with suspicion.

"Because I've met these guys before, somewhere." She responded.

"Who are you?" Vincent asked. She turned back to look at him.

"My name's Cedeile. I'm looking for my lost memories."

"Are you with the heartless?" Lulu asked.

"No, defiantly not. I've been fighting them this whole time. Part of the heartblade master thing."

"It's funny, you seem like the kind of person who would be friends with Sora." Vincent muttered.

"I'm looking for Sora! How long ago was he here?"

"Not too long." Lulu replied. "He killed Maleficent. That's why we're starting to rebuild."

"I see. So you're trying to get rid of all the heartless so that everyone comes back, right?" Cedeile asked.

"Yes. Maybe then our memories will come back too. I can't remember anything before the heartless came." Vincent said.

"I know how it feels to not remember." Cedeile told him. "It's frustrating because you know that you should know certain things, but you don't. But I'm sure you'll remember. Slowly, I'm starting to remember too. Maybe I'll even remember why this place feels so familiar to me. I'd really like to remember that."

"Perhaps you should go to the Grand Hall. There is a strange doorway there that might lead you to your memories." Lulu said. "We'll take you there, because the way is, no doubted, filled with heartless."

"Thanks, Lulu." Cedeile replied. "I really appreciate the help."

"Huh. Lulu, why are you offering help to strangers? It's very unlike you to be so…gracious." Vincent said.

"It's odd. I feel as though Cedeile is someone I've been waiting for. Like my memories might come back to us now that we've met her."

"That is bizarre." Vincent commented.

"I am aware. But I'd like to see if she remembers. Then, maybe we can too."

"Of course you can!" Cedeile piped in. "Anyone can remember what they've forgotten! They just have to try!" Vincent and Lulu looked at each other for a moment, as if having a silent conversation.

"Even us? Two outcasts who were forgotten a long time ago?" Vincent asked, doubtful.

"Yeah. I'm sure of it." Cedeile replied. "And I bet somewhere, someone remembers you too! They hope that you haven't forgotten them!"

"Let's trust her Vincent. What she says…it does make some sense." Lulu told him. He closed his eyes for a minute and then sighed. He opened them again and looked at Cedeile.

"Fine." He placed a metal-clawed hand on her shoulder. "We'll take you to the grand hall." He released his tight hold on her and brushed past her on his way to the next door. Lulu came up next to her.

"You could feel it too?" She said softly when Vincent was out of earshot. "His left hand-it's a fake." And she followed after him. Cedeile hesitated, and then ran to catch up to the pair at the door.

----

After a lot of fighting and several slain heartless, they arrived at a pair of two, huge doors. It took Vincent and Lulu both to open just one door enough for them to get through. The three of them slipped in and entered the dark room.

It was massive. Cedeile tilted her head up to try and find the ceiling, but nearly fell over doing so.

"Come on." Vincent growled as he walked ahead. Cedeile followed anxiously. They headed for a staircase that split in two and wrapped around a balcony above. He climbed the left stairs, Lulu right behind him, the two of them walking slowly. Cedeile ran up and stopped short right behind them, almost stepping on the edge of Lulu's dress. She began to walk in the same slow, dragging manner that they were as the rounded the corner and found the stairs opened up to a large platform.

"Here it is." Lulu gestured to a heart-shaped opening in the wall. There were several dark colors swirling inside of it like storm. Cedeile shivered. Could she have been in this room before? She looked across the platform and saw where the other stairs were, and a large group of pipes that came out of the wall and twisted up to the ceiling.

"Is something wrong, Cedeile?" Vincent asked. Cedeile snapped out of her reverie and looked back at him.

"No! I'm good, really!" She insisted, nervous under his cold gaze.

"Well, are you going to try and step through the door or not?" He asked. She nodded and walked up the stairs to the heart-shaped portal. She stood in front of it, not sure of what to do. She looked down and lifted up her hand. Raising her head, she slowly reached her hand up and moved it forward. She wondered if the colors in front of her were solid or not, and if she'd feel them at all. She shut one eye and slightly turned away as she reached out forward and let the tips of her fingers sink into the darkness beyond. It was like she hit some sort of wall like water, but it wasn't wet at all. She was about to let her hand go in further, but a sharp pain in her head made her draw her hand back and grab her head. She stumbled backwards as she remembered a flood of memories.

_Riku moved closer, but Cedeile stepped back, slapping him across the face. _

_"This time, I'm not bound up and captured."_

_"What a shame. We could've been together in paradise." He pushed her back, and she stumbled over the edge of the platform._

_"Oh no...not this again..." she mumbled to herself. "I can't move, and no one will hear me, no matter how loud I yell."_

_"You...are not Riku."_

_"At last, the heartblade master is in my hands. The only thing left is for the seventh princess's heart to be released from the keyblade master and then you and I shall walk hand in hand into the never-ending darkness."_

_"You are the ultimate goal...everyone wants to hold the most powerful piece. But you are mine. And you have been from the beginning. Take me to rakuen..." he gently placed his lips on hers, and she cringed at their cold touch._

_"Cedeile...? Are you here?"_

_"It is I, Ansem! The Seeker of darkness!"_

_"I'm doing the best I can to counteract the spell. It's very intricate...like nothing I've ever seen." she said. Cedeile sighed as she looked up to watch the battle between Riku and-_

_"Don't blame the boy. I'm just borrowing his vessel. Of course, I don't intend to bring it back to him." he replied. The two clashed keyblades again, pushing on each other._

_"Thanks Aru. Now there's something I gotta do." she said. She whipped out the heartblade and dashed to the center of the battle._

_Caught in the middle of the assault, with both keyblades rammed through her, was Cedeile. She winced a little at the pain._

Cedeile grabbed her chest where she remembered the keyblades going through her. It was almost like she could feel them in her body at this moment. But that wasn't possible-no way that could've happened. Was Cedeile really remembering her own death?

"Cedeile?" Lulu asked, confused as to what was going on. Suddenly, they heard tiny footsteps running towards them from the right set of stairs.

"Cedeile!" A voice yelled. Cedeile looked up and smiled, running towards the figure.

"Aru!" She yelled. The mage and the heartblade master clashed in a joyful embrace as they jumped around and yelled happily.

"I can't believe you're here!" Cedeile told her.

"I finally caught up with you!" Aru told her. The two let go of each other. "Are you all right?" Cedeile laughed.

"Um…well, physically yes, mentally no. I kind of…lost all my memories at some point."

"You what?" Aru exclaimed, shocked.

"I can remember some things-like you, and Riku, and Kana and some of the things we did!" She told her. "I'm slowly gaining everything back."

"I wonder if that's what happened to me. I met this Riku person down in the basements of this castle and he said I knew him, but I didn't remember him at all!"

"Really? You know Riku too?"

"According to him."

"That's strange. Well, I do remember you being there when we were fighting him." He excitement dropped as she went back to that disturbing memory. "Um Aru…you remember being here in Hallow Bastion, right?"

"Yes. This is where we met Ansem for the first time."

"Yeah…um, did something…bad happen to me?" Cedeile asked, hesitant.

"Something Bad? A lot of bad things happened here Cedeile. This was a tough battle."

"No! I mean…I remember the two keyblades being stabbed through my body. Did I…die here, Aru? Am I dead?" She got out at last. Aru smiled.

"No. You did get the keyblades rammed through your body, but you didn't die. You just left us for awhile, but we found you again at End of the World." Aru explained.

"Really? But how's that possible?"

"You see, the dark keyblade hit you first and unlocked your heart, then Sora's keyblade hit you and locked your heart. But your body was so shocked that your heart and soul escaped and went off into the darkness to heal while Ansem took your body." She explained. "But Ryu found your soul and heart and brought them to your body, and you were fine."

"Who's Ryu?"

"Huh? Cedeile, how can you not remember Ryu? He was our friend!" Aru insisted.

"I really don't remember him. I thought it was just you and me traveling together."

"No. It was the three of us! Well, do you remember Sora?"

"Sora is the keyblade master. Leon told me that he could help me regain my memories if I caught up to him, so that's what I've been trying to do all this time, but he's still ahead of me!" She crossed her arms, frustrated. Aru sighed.

"There's still a lot you don't remember." She said.

"Thanks for reminding me. And Agent 427 wasn't any help either! She was so damn cryptic!" Cedeile said.

"Agent 427?"

"She was traveling with me for a little while, but we…parted ways a little while ago. She said she promised someone to tell me the truth but…I never found out what the truth was."

"Maybe she didn't have anything to tell you." Aru replied. "Well, is there anything else you need to do here?"

"Wait." Lulu said, walking towards them.

"Oh, it's Lulu and Vincent! Hey guys." Aru said.

"Do you know us?" Lulu asked.

"Yes. You helped my friends and I out a lot back when we were fighting Ansem and Maleficent."

"It's so strange. You know of all these things that we've never heard of. It's like you've met a different 'us.' Now, I'm starting to doubt that this is the real me." Lulu said sadly.

"What do you mean?" Cedeile asked.

"If there was some important battle that took place here, I would've remembered it. I don't think I would've forgotten so easily. But I've never heard of an Ansem. And I don't remember you coming here and fighting either. Sora said some strange stuff too, like about these battles we fought and how he met Vincent and myself, but I don't believe I did meet Sora before today."

"I felt it too." Vincent said. "That feeling that you don't think you are you anymore."

"Perhaps we aren't who we think we are." Lulu added. "Maybe we're not the true 'us.'"

"Why are you guys saying such crazy things all of the sudden?" Cedeile asked, scared and confused. "You're real to me! How can you not be you?"

"Hidden memories can change you. That's what we heard Maleficent saying one day. Or, at least that's what we remember. I think our memories betray us." Vincent answered.

"No! This isn't true! You guys are real!" Cedeile insisted.

"Cedeile, don't try and cover your eyes with a soft blindfold." Lulu told her. "You must see the world and all its hardships if you want to truly be the heartblade master. How else can you fight?"

"I don't know. I guess you're right."

"We'll just have to find all the answers we want for ourselves." Lulu said. "Just like how you need to search for your own memories. No one can give them to you."

"Already learned that one that hard way." Cedeile said, reminded of her trip in Agrabah. "So, is this goodbye?"

"Perhaps. But maybe we will meet again. Or, you'll meet the true 'us.'"

"Yeah. I think I will meet the true Vincent and Lulu. I look forward to it." Cedeile said.

"Will the two of you be okay?" Aru asked.

"I think so." Vincent replied. "If we were alone and didn't have each other, it might be harder, but there are two of us, so we can face it together."

"Yes." Lulu added. "It's much easier if you don't have to go alone."

"And now, we're not alone either, right Aru?" Cedeile asked, turning to her friend. Aru nodded.

"We should get going." Aru said. The two girls said goodbye to their friends and headed down the stairs and out the door, leaving the two tired warriors to wonder about themselves.

----

Cedeile and Aru climbed the stairs up to the tenth floor. Cedeile was happy-it was good to have her old friend back with her.

"Cedeile, I didn't want to mention it back there in front of Lulu and Vincent but…"She paused and stopped walking. Cedeile turned back to look at her.

"What is it?"

"I met this girl, Namine, who's a witch. She's somewhere in this castle, controlling Sora's memories. Well…she asked me to go help Sora and protect him from Marucia."

"Marucia! He's the guy in charge of Castle Oblivion!"

"Yes. He's making Namine change Sora's memories so he can get the keyblade. Namine asked Hikari Tagami and I to help him."

"Hikari Tagami? Who's that?" Cedeile asked, confused. Aru sighed.

"You don't remember Hikari either?" She asked, exasperated.

"No. Is she another one of our friends?"

'I'm really hating this.' Hikari murmured in Aru's head.

'Then solve it yourself!' Aru replied to her. Cedeile gasped as Aru's body began to glow and change. Suddenly, a different person was standing in front of her. She was tall with dark, cranberry colored hair and mint green eyes.

"I'm Hikari. Now do you remember?" she asked. Cedeile thought for a moment.

"No, not really." Cedeile replied. Hikari smacked herself in the forehead.

"Good god…"She muttered. Aru laughed hysterically while Cedeile stood there, confused.

----

6H: Well, this was a nice, long chapter.

Anaretsu: Unfortunately.

6H: Anyway, this story will be wrapping up in at most TEN CHAPTERS! I think.

Anaretsu: I'm going to go set off fireworks into other people's houses!

6H: And, as promised, a little KH2 preview!

----

Roxas opened his front door and closed it behind him. He kicked off his shoes and stepped inside his hallway, yawning slightly. What a hectic day it'd been. He inhaled deeply and stopped. He smelled something sweet and fruity in his house. The scent did seem a bit familiar, but he couldn't put a name to it. And it seemed to be coming from upstairs.

As he climbed the stairs, he remembered what the scent came from. It was the smell of dragon fruit. He'd had once many summers ago with Olette when they went to Sunset Terrace for the summer festival. It had a sweet smell and tasted even sweeter. But dragon fruit didn't grow around here-it had to be imported from far off.

He was at his door now, and the scent seemed to be coming from inside his room. He grabbed the doorknob and slowly opened his door. His blue eyes went wide.

Sitting on his bed was a slightly transparent girl with dark brown hair pulled back in a braid. She looked up at him with dark emerald green eyes and smiled. She had on a white sweater that didn't cover her left arm or shoulder, and black pants that flared out from her knees.

"How'd you get in here?" Was the only logical thing he could get out.

"Hi there, Roxas." She said gently. "I've been watching over you these past few days."

----

6H: Ha ha ha! I know what happens and you don't!

Anaretsu: I'm sure they are aware.

6H: I got the whole dragon fruit idea from eating those California flavored Starbursts. The dragon fruit one tasted and smelled really good, so I decided to have that scent be associated with my brown haired girl.

Anaretsu: Does anyone care?

6H: I just didn't want people to think I made it up, cause I know that dragon fruit sounds cheesy and made up, but it's a real thing! For candy, anyway.

Anaretsu: Whatever.

6H: I really wanna finish this up! Please bear with me!


	31. Floor 31:The One I Forgot!

6H: It is time for chapter 31!

Anaretsu: Are we supposed to be happy?

6H: Isis was right. CoM does lose its appeal after playing KH2. Is anyone even reading this fic anymore? Anyway, while Cedeile and Aru go to the tenth floor and play in the Hundred Acre Wood, we're going to check up on Ryu, and make a surprising discovery!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 31-The One I Forgot! Ryu goes Beyond the Mirror!

----

"So," She raised the keyblade towards him. "What will you do, Ryu?"

His eyes snapped open. He was laying chest down on the floor, his head resting on its side. He looked around, and all there was, was empty darkness in all directions. Where was Rose? And all the treasures and the army and the servants that were there before? Did he escape the room of temptation?

Ryu got up slowly and sat on his legs for a moment while he investigated more. Perhaps he did escape. He really didn't remember. The last thing he could see in his mind was Rose holding the keyblade out to him, asking him what his choice would be, but that was it. It was black beyond that point. He used his hand to push himself off the floor and stood, looking around the room.

"This is bizarre." He said to himself. He turned behind him and saw an oak-haired boy with mystical blue eyes looking back at him. It was a mirror in a black frame. He walked up to it and examined it. Seemed like a normal mirror to him. However, the image in the mirror began to swirl. He stepped back and watched as the glass showed him a town bathed in the sunset's light. He frowned and thought that it looked familiar. Not having anything better to do here, he touched the glass, not really surprised when his hand went through, and then walked into the mirror.

----

"No way…this can't possibly be…" Ryu stuttered as he arrived on the other side. He walked forward and out of the alley to find himself in the town's center. He gasped. "This is…my home? I'm…home?" He asked. He looked around, but saw no other people. He began to walk hurriedly around, looking in the shops and around the corners of the streets that went off of the main area. He became more panicked when he saw no one. "Could there have been a battle that killed everyone?" He asked. "No…it can't…Dad!" He ran towards a street that went up a hill and began calling out for his family. "Mom! Dad! Kiryu! Mikaru! Misara! Tetsurei!" He yelled, running up the hill, past empty shops and houses. "Mom! Mikaru! Tetsurei! Dad! Misara! Kiryu!"

He went past a garage and then off on a narrow street to the right. He ran down it until it opened up to a small, private square. He stopped in front of one particular building. The building was old, and some of the plaster on the front was falling off. There was an old neon sign that had the name of the restaurant that used to be there, hanging off the corner. The blue and purple awning that hung over the sunken in porch and front door below street level had several holes and tears in it, and had been bleached by the sun. Some of the windows were even boarded up. But this is where he had lived in secret with his family all his life. No one in town knew that anyone lived in this old place anymore. They just thought the abandoned restaurant was haunted.

He went down the front stairs and ducked under the awning to see the black iron chairs still neatly arranged around two, cast iron tables. The flower boxes were overgrown, as usual. But somehow, he knew no one was here. He stared at the front door for a long time, but he could not bring himself to open it. He was afraid to find them all dead. He bit his lower lip, turned around, and ran up the stairs and back down the street.

"Mom! Misara! Dad! Kiryu! Mikaru! Tetsurei!" He yelled as loud as he could. "It's me! Ryosuke; Ryu!" Suddenly, he heard female laughter echoing throughout the streets. He came to an immediate halt and listened for the laughter. It sounded again, and he ran to it. He stopped when it disappeared, and looked around when it started up again, not sure from where it came. He followed the sound as best he could, and found it coming from the other side of a random door. He knew this door hadn't been there before…but…

----

"Look at that. We certainly didn't expect someone ELSE to know about that place." Axel said, leaning on the white orb and watching what was happening below.

"What are you talking about?" Lakchine asked. She, Vixen, and Axel were standing together in a room. She had just returned from her fight with Cedeile, and Vixen was recovering from his fight with Hikari Tagami before he went off to face Sora again.

"Someone else just came in from the dream castle." Axel remarked, as if it wasn't a big deal. The two came over to look as well.

"Again?" Vixen whined. "Let's just killed them all and get it done with!" They all leaned over the orb and watched Ryu run all over, yelling out for his family.

"What's his problem?" Lakchine asked.

"Seems like he knows the place pretty well." Axel remarked.

"Who's he yelling out to?" Lakchine questioned again.

"Who knows? Maybe he's from there." Vixen replied, bored by this. He moved away and went back to the chair he'd been sitting on. He threw himself into it and cursed Hikari Tagami's name. Lakchine walked away as well and leaned against the wall.

"We should take care of him." She said in thought.

"Guess you're right. Vixen, would you like to-"

"Absolutely not! My wounds from that bitch Hikari and from the brat Sora still haven't healed!" Vixen cut Axel off, yelling angrily.

"I'll do it. I'm really bored." Lakchine offered. Axel looked at her, frowning.

"You just got to play with the heartblade master!" He said.

"I know. But it was so much fun that now I'm bored again!" She complained. He sighed.

"What do you have planned for him?" Axel asked. She smirked evilly.

"I was thinking of making his soul break by making him remember the one so precious to him." She replied. Vixen crossed his arms and looked very angry.

"Those guys on the other side cause so much trouble for us! They can't even keep their visitors from coming over here!" Suddenly, a hooded figure entered the room.

"Relax, Vixen. This is a great opportunity." Marucia threw off his hood. Axel laughed.

"Whoa! What's with the secrecy all of the sudden?" He joked. "Is there any particular reason you're running around with your hood up?"

"Watch yourself, Axel. The Superior put me in charge." He replied. "Anyway, do you know who this child is?" He asked, walking towards the orb. He watched Ryu run through the streets of the town and smirked. "He is one of the last of the Ryu Clan." The rest of them looked to each other. "Meaning, he's connected to Sora, so Namine can play with this one's memories too. I think I can make this work in my favor."

"How?" Axel asked, eyes narrow. Marucia ignored him and looked directly at Lakchine.

"Ready, XII? Go and make him remember…Namine…"He told her. She smirked.

"Oh…this WILL be fun." She said before disappeared. Axel watched Marucia's back for a while. Then, he spoke.

"What do you have planned?" Marucia turned and looked at Axel out of the corner of his blue eyes.

"You'll see, Axel. Don't question me." He turned to Vixen. "Let me guess, Sora?"

"And Hikari. I absolutely detest that woman!" He replied, sounding every bit like he meant it.

"I see. How bad for you. Don't worry; Sora's still lost as ever. You have a little longer." And he left the room silently. Axel glared at his retreating back. He wasn't liking this at all, now. It was time for him to take action.

----

He threw it open and walked in. It was another one of the back alleys in town. He walked down it with purpose, and the laugh got louder the closer he got to the small square at the end. He stopped in the center of the square, and the laugh faded out.

"Alright, who are you! Who's there!" He yelled.

"It's so touching, how much you care for all of them. I couldn't help but find it funny!" The voice said. In front of him appeared a woman in a black cloak. Her blonde hair was slicked back against her head, with two strands standing out. Her sea green eyes smirked back at him relentlessly. "Hello." She replied. Ryu glared at her and reached for the hilt of his sword.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Lakchine." She said. "And you?"

"Ryosuke." He answered.

"I see. What're you doing running around Twilight Town?" she asked.

"Looking for my family. This is my home." He growled. "Have you done something with them?"

"Nope. I don't even know them." Lakchine responded, licking the edge of one of her knives. He took a step back and prepared to attack. "Oh, don't even try anything, fragment hunter."

"How'd you know?" He demanded.

"How could I not? You go around telling people you're something, and eventually it gets around." She vanished and suddenly felt a cold, gloved hand stroking his face. He turned and saw sea green eyes smirking at him. "What lovely blue eyes you have. The color of the night sky…a genetic 'defect' passed down to all the children born into the Ryu Clan…" He went to push her away, but she moved out of his reach. He stumbled backwards and drew his giant blade.

"Don't touch me again!" He yelled.

"You might get hurt playing with such a big sword. Sure you can hold it?" She taunted, smiling. He gritted his teeth and then charged at her. She threw all of her knives at him. He held up his blade in front of his body and blocked them-they fell to the ground harmlessly. When he didn't hear the clinking sounds of metal anymore, he dared to peek around the edge of his weapon. Lakchine gave him a mocking applause. "My, my, my…aren't we talented…"

"Shut up!" He told her.

"Oh, I'm hurt."

"What do you want?"

"Tell me, Ryosuke-have you forgotten anyone lately?" she asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Say, like…your most precious person?" He froze. What the hell was she talking about? "You must have _someone_ precious to you. Someone more important than anyone else." He thought for a moment. Did he have someone important like that? Certainly he cared deeply for his family, and Aru was a very good friend, but he did feel like something was missing now.

"What do you know?" He asked.

"Nothing. Only you know yourself best, right? Does the perception of others make you who you are?"

"I don't know." He answered sheepishly.

"Maybe we're all built up on what others see us as. Maybe there is nothing inside us that's our own-we're made up of other people's expectations. I don't know how these clans work exactly, but I expect that you've been raised to be a warrior since the time you could stand up on your own." She looked down at him, smirking, and then continued. "Your parents expect certain things from you, and then there's your brothers and sisters who depend and look up to you, and your friends count on your strength in battle. All that combined makes you a certain way-you have no influence on your own life."

"I do too! I control my life-no one else! Who are you to tell me how I am?" He yelled, gripping his sword tightly. She smirked.

"If you want to claim what is precious to you…"

"…_you have to decide what it is first, Ryu." Kairi said, smiling at him. _

"I…"

"A friend told you that, didn't she? That's good, womanly advice. You should remember that always."

"How do you know all this stuff about me?"

"Your heart is whispering all this to me right now, as we're standing here right now." She told him. "You try to be strong, but really, you're so weak. At any moment, you could have a break down."

"Stop it!" He yelled, and he came at her again.

"Thunder!" A lighting bolt came down behind him, curved sideways, and struck him in the back just before he reached her. He fell down on the ground in front of her. She vanished, and then reappeared in the air, just hovering above the ground. He got up and took an offensive stance.

Lakchine began to circle around him, floating in the air, her throwing knives ready. Ryu held his sword out in front of him as he watched her with his menacing navy eyes.

"I know what you did, Ryosuke. You went to play in the dream castle and gave up the memory of your most precious person. Remember that?"

"No!" Ryu said. "Where'd you get that crap? What dream castle?" She laughed and didn't answer his question.

"Who was it, Ryosuke?" she asked him, tauntingly. "Who was your most important person, who you threw the memory of away so carelessly? Was it your dad?" A knife cut across his arm and disappeared. He grabbed the cut that was bleeding.

"No!" He yelled. "It wasn't my dad!"

"No? Was it your poor mother?"

"Not my mom...it wasn't her..." he responded, searching for where Lakchine would strike next. He miscalculated and got hit in the back of his right shoulder with another knife.

"How about your dead brother, Seiki? You would want to throw away the memories of his death, wouldn't you?"

"It wasn't him!" he yelled, getting really ticked off. "How do you know all this stuff about me?"

"Your other brothers and sisters? Was it one of them, maybe?" She asked, ignoring him.

"No! It wasn't any of my family! I would never throw my memories of them away!" he yelled. She stopped in front of him and touched her feet back to the ground.

"I see. How fitting that our battle is taking place in your hometown of all places." She let out an evil laugh as he growled at her. "Then who is your most important person, boy? Who is it, if not one of your family?"

"It was..."he struggled with the name. He reached for his head and loosely grabbed at his hair. "It was..." He couldn't quite grasp it with his tongue, but he knew that he knew the name of the girl most important to him. A face came to mind-a girl with long black hair and green eyes, but he did seem to know her. She faded away before he could get a good look at her, and in her place appeared a girl with pale blonde hair and light blue eyes. At last, he thought of a name. "Na...Namine. She's my most important person-Namine, the heartblade master. I promised her I would protect her and that I'd never let her die before me." Lakchine smirked.

"Oh really..." She said. "You did a lousy job of protecting her then. We have her-we're holding her captive in the top of this castle." He looked up at her.

"What do you mean? What castle?"

"Welcome to Castle Oblivion, fragment hunter! The castle of memories! The farther you go, the more you remember the true memories you buried within yourself! Congrats, you just remembered your first true memory!" She said mockingly.

"Why did you capture Namine?" He demanded.

"Because we need her." She said. "Don't you remember how timid she was? You promised to protect her, so she could be strong and not afraid, but now look what's happened."

"You better not hurt her!" He demanded.

"Don't worry, she'd being taken very good care of." Lakchine replied.

"She's here…how could I have forgotten all about her? I'm so sorry, Namine." He said to himself.

"You're even luckier! You're on the 11th floor, and she's waiting up on the 13th floor! You don't have too far to go if you want to save her."

"I should kill you right now."

"For what? I didn't personally go and capture her."

"But you're not letting her go, and you're not helping me save her." He responded. She smirked.

"You're a smart one. Anyway…I'm getting bored with you." And she sudden vanished.

"Come back here, Lakchine! Don't think I'll let you get away!"

"Forget about finding your family here!" Her voice told him. "This is just an illusion made by Sora's memories!" And then the voice faded and vanished. He sighed and sheathed his sword.

"Sora's memories? But…I don't think Sora's ever been here before." He thought out loud. "Ah…who cares! Namine is in danger!" He turned and ran out of the room.

----

Aru and Cedeile emerged in the hallway outside the tenth floor. Both of them looked at each other and sighed.

"That was a complete waste of time!" Cedeile whined. Both of them sunk to the floor, exhausted.

"We did all that stuff for Pooh and his friends, but it didn't help us remember a thing." Aru added.

"Well, now we have to go through the 11th floor. Maybe we'll finally catch up with him." Cedeile said, pushing herself up. Aru followed suit and the two began to climb the next set of stairs. "I mean, how many floors can this stupid castle possibly have?"

"Maybe it goes on forever." Aru replied morosely.

"I hope to God not."

"Cedeile, you really don't remember Sora at all?"

"What do you mean? I've met him before?"

"You two were best friends." Aru replied.

"Seriously? I can't recall any of that."

"Nothing at all?"

"Like I said, I only remember Riku and me being on the island together. And we used to fight all the time."

"That's kind of sad. Always fighting?"

"Yeah…now that you mention it, I never got the chance to apologize to him for all those fights. I didn't start all of them, but I didn't try to stop them without punching his face in first. I remember going home to my mom, and she would yell at me all the time about violence and how we should try to get along. I think…his mom used to tell him the same thing. Even though we fought a lot, our moms were still good friends."

"That's always nice. It's awful when mothers are fighting because of their children." Aru commented.

"Yeah. Well, I think they knew each other when they were little." Cedeile recalled. "Um, I vaguely remember the photos we hung in the hallway, and one of them was really old, of when my mom and Riku's mom were my age or so. They were on the beach in school uniforms…that's all I know about that. Mom told me a story once, but I can't remember it just yet."

"Well, at least you know that much. You're remembering even more now, Cedeile!" Aru said.

"You're right! And I didn't even notice!" Cedeile smiled broadly. "Come on! I'll race you to the next floor!" She charged ahead, flying up the stairs.

"Hey, wait up! You got a head start!" Aru called as she started chasing after her. Cedeile laughed and got to the door first. She rested a hand on it and started trying to catch her breath while waiting for Aru. Aru stumbled up the stairs and collapsed in a heap.

"Ha…ha! I…beat you!" Cedeile said in between breaths.

"No…fair!" Aru replied. Cedeile laughed some more and waited for the mage to recover.

"All ready now?" She asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah. I'm good." Aru said. Cedeile yanked on the handle and let her friend in first before passing through herself.

----

Ryu sat for a little while, thinking of what to do next. How would he find the 13th floor? He couldn't even find his way out of this one. He looked around at all the buildings and sighed. All he could really focus on was Namine. How could he let her get kidnapped? He promised to protect her! They had been through so much together, after all. She trusted him, and then he let her go and get captured. And what had he been doing all this time while she waited for him? He had been fooling around with Cerulean and Rose's games and, worst of all, he didn't even remember her.

'Namine…was what Lakchine said right? Did I just throw away my memories of you like they were nothing?' he thought, looking at the evening sky. He stood up and brushed off his cloak. 'No! I can't just sit around her and sulk! I have to keep going till Namine is back with me again!' He walked down the road and went through another random door.

He was now in a small room with a glowing doorway at the other end. He put on a determined face and walked right towards it without stopping.

'Namine…!' He thought.

When the light cleared, he gasped. It took a lot to surprise him, but the tall figure of a demon with teal hair, sunset colored eyes, and red demon wings just about did it. Doriko stood right in front of him, smirking maliciously.

"Well, well…what do we have here?" The demon king taunted. Ryu hardened his glare and reached for his sword.

"What do you want?" He spat. Ryu had tangled with demons before, and they were always bad news. They wanted to hurt Namine.

"Can you keep a secret for me?" Doriko asked. Ryu gripped the hilt of his sword and slowly pulled it out. "Oh…you are a feisty one…" Doriko grabbed the hand that was holding the sword and pressed his fingers into it. Suddenly, Ryu felt his hand burning.

"Ah!" He cried out, and his fingers released their grip on the weapon. It clattered to the floor beside him. He looked to see deep burn marks in the shape of his attacker's fingers on his flesh.

"Don't try anything foolish. It'll only hurt you more." He said. Ryu looked defeated for a moment, and then smirked. He reached under his cloak and pulled out a rapier he had kept hidden.

"Surprise!" He yelled, going at Doriko.

"What?" he shouted in surprise. Ryu forced the demon back and left a long cut across his muscular arm. Black blood slid down his tanned skin. The demon looked at it indifferently and then to Ryu. "A little more feisty than I thought…"

"What do you want with me?" Ryu demanded.

"Like I said…I need you to keep a secret…"

"What kind of secret?" Ryu asked.

"A big one. But it's in such a tiny package…"He raised his one hand and seemed to hold something in between his thumb and index finger. Ryu gasped.

"That's can't be…a fragment? No way! Ansem took all the fragments a brought Silvia back!"

"Well, he missed this one." Doriko replied. Ryu gripped his weapon tighter and charged at him. Doriko smirked and simply held out his other hand to stop him. A huge blast of energy came out of nowhere and slammed into the fragment hunter, threw him into a wall, and then threw him on the floor. He lay prone there, his hands clenched as he tried to shake off the pain. Doriko walked over to him, grabbed him by his cloak, and lifted him up. Ryu faced him, about to demand that he let him go, but was frozen in shock and pain as Doriko took the fragment and brought it to Ryu's left eye. "Quiet now…this is our little secret." He whispered as he pushed in. Ryu screamed in pain as it magically slipped into his pupil. Doriko then dropped him and stood up. Ryu passed out from the agony and lay still on the floor. Doriko smiled. No one would find it there-not even Marucia. He turned and walked up the next flight of stairs to where the next mirror was, leaving the fragment hunter alone.

----

6H: Ha ha ha! What will happen to Ryu's eye? WHAT did Doriko put in there and why?

Anaretsu: Isn't it so freakin obvious? Anyone who's actually bothered to read this story knows that Doriko put that stupid shard of Silvia's power in Ryu's eye.

6H: Oh…but you don't know why, exactly!

Anaretsu: To hide it from Marucia, in case that pink-scythe man goes back on his deal.

6H: Not quite…you'll find out in KH2!

Anaretsu: I really don't care.

6H: Next chapter-Aru and Cedeile in Twilight Town, Ryu finds himself on an island, and the start of a big battle!


	32. Floor 32:The Memory from the Other Side

6H: It's time for chapter 32! But you probably already knew that, considering that you already read 31 and have not yet read 33. Why is it that I tell you what chapter it is at the beginning of each chapter? Perhaps it's to fulfill some part of myself that is insufficient. Maybe it is just a fault of mine…

Anaretsu: Maybe you're just annoying and stupid.

6H: Shut up! Everyone just read chapter 32!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 32-Twilight Town-The Memory From the Other Side of his Heart!

----

This place was different. It wasn't that it was unfamiliar or that she couldn't remember it. Because Aru couldn't remember it either. And also, it just felt like this place was important. The two girls looked around at the sleepy town bathed in twilight, forever on the border between day and night. Cedeile kicked a stone that lay on the ground.

"What is this place?"

"I don't know. We've never been here before." Aru commented.

"Hey Aru, can you sense anything about this place? It's giving me some bad vibes, but that's just instinct kicking in."

"I'll see if I can sense any auras." She went quiet for a moment and closed her eyes, searching for auras that might exist within the little town. "This is really strange, Cedeile. I can't sense any auras at all."

"You mean there's no one here?"

"No. This place itself has no aura. That's so bizarre." Aru opened her eyes again and looked around hesitantly. "And it's not like it's because it's an illusion. On the other floors, those places had their auras, but they felt much more diluted, with the auras of the castle mixed in with them. But this place…I can't even feel the boundaries where the magic ends and Castle Oblivion begin again. It's as if…we're not in the castle anymore, but we are."

"Aru, that makes no freakin' sense to me." Cedeile remarked. Aru sighed.

"I just don't like how this place feels. Or rather, doesn't feel…" Cedeile raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Whatever. Let's just keep moving! I want to get to Sora!" Cedeile turned and began walking into the town. Aru almost called for her to stop, but sighed and hurried along after her. Cedeile was as stubborn as ever, even without her memories.

----

Perhaps, in the end, it was all his injuries that really did him in. He had fought two battles with Hikari Tagami, and then two battles with Sora. It was remarkable that he had held up against possibly the greatest mage of all time and then the power of the keyblade on top of it all. And, of course, Axel running him through didn't help.

Now, Marucia paced nervously in the room. Axel wasn't with them-he was a spy. He was with the superior. If this was true…

But either way, Axel was a traitor to Marucia's cause. He had slain Vixen right in front of Sora. But Marucia would not abandon his cause. He wanted to overthrow the superior, and it would happen. But now Axel was going to report everything to the rest of the organization, and then there was Doriko to worry about. No doubt the demon king was still roaming about the castle.

Lakchine watched him pacing, keeping her own nervousness to herself. She stood silently, sea foam eyes following him back and forth. She bit on the rough black material of her gloved thumb, clenching it tightly in her teeth. Was this the end? Was this her end? It reminded her of what happened back then, when HE left…

Marucia stopped pacing and looked directly at her, his sharp blue eyes piercing through her and to the depths of her non-existing soul.

"What's the matter, XII?" he asked. "You look worried. I thought you were apathetic to everything."

"It's nothing." She replied quickly. He smirked, though the nervousness never left his eyes.

"I thought you only worried about yourself. Is that worry for another I see in your eyes? It couldn't be."

"It isn't." She shot back, looking away from his gaze.

"You're think about him. I know you are because I am too. Our little XIII…"

"I don't think about him anymore!" She spat. "He's just a worthless kid. I don't waste a moment on him!"

"It seems you are wasting quite a few moments on him."

"I'm only thinking of how to save my own skin." She replied, a smirk plastered on her face. But Marucia turned on her.

"Are you also a spy, Lakchine?" he demanded. Her eyes snapped open and she turned back to take his gaze straight on.

"What are you talking about?" She yelled. "Of course I am!"

"It doesn't seem like that to me. I wonder if you're like Axel-waiting in the wings until you can strike us all down and report us to the superior."

"That's ridiculous! Marucia, I've done everything you've asked, and more!" She returned. "Screw Axel! Screw number XIII! I'm in this to the end, just like I promised at the beginning! Why would you think I wasn't loyal?"

"You're losing your head. That's an interesting look for you. Fear, anger, and desperateness…all wrapped into one…" He said, smirking and walking towards her. "Our only female member…"

"Yeah. You really need more women around." She joked tensely.

"You've kept your word so far, but I'm through with just empty speeches." He turned his back to her and walked towards the door." Take out Sora for good if he makes it out of Destiny Islands. Got it?" He turned back to her. She nodded hesitantly, but wore a mask of confidence.

"He'll die when I get my hands on him." She replied. Marucia left the room and she dropped the act. She couldn't fool anyone-she was actually scared. Everything was falling apart on them. There was no way she could make it out of here in one piece. Her end was coming. She tried to resume her usual persona, and crossed her arms confidently and laughed to herself. "What do I have to fear? I'm no better than being dead already, so it won't matter if I die now, will it?" She looked down at the orb in the center of the room and sighed, still unable to fool herself. She looked at the glass coldly, as if she was trying to break it with looks alone. "What happens when a nobody dies? I wonder if you left to find that out for yourself…" She thought for a little longer, then glared and huffed at herself. "Why do I care? You're still a little brat." And she turned and walked out of the room.

----

They walked through a door in the wall and found themselves in front of an old mansion that somehow managed to hold itself up. There were several stone arches that were in various states of destruction, with fuzzy green moss slowly climbing up the old granite that was helpless to save itself. The grass was horridly overgrown and choked the path to the old wooden doors. All this was kept away from the regular world, as if time had been stopped beyond the rusty iron gates that were locked up tight.

The two stood at the gates, peering inside at the old mansion. Cedeile frowned and walked up to the gates. Suddenly, she grasped them in the hands and began to shake the bars.

"Come on! Open up, damnit!" she yelled.

"Cedeile! You don't want to break it!" Aru exclaimed running up and trying to restrain Cedeile from her actions.

"Maybe I do! If I broke them off, we could slip in and look around!" She yelled back, shaking them harder. A cold laugh filled the air. Cedeile looked around, but failed to fin the source.

"So, now you've become a little vandal, huh?" Cedeile looked into the yard beyond the gates and saw someone there.

"Axel…" she snarled. He shrugged.

"Not so glad to see me, huh?" He replied.

"Who's that, Cedeile?" Aru asked.

"His name's Axel, and he working with the organization in the castle. He also…killed my friend, Kageki."

"Cedeile…why didn't you say anything about your friend to me? I know you-you don't handle the deaths of others well! I mean…it's had for all of us, but you don't even talk about it at all!" Aru yelled at her. Cedeile gripped the bars tighter in her hands.

"I see. Another fault of the heartblade master?" Axel taunted. "Don't you want to talk about your wittle feelings?" He mocked in a childish tone. Cedeile glared at him and tried to break through the gate to get to him, rattling them on their ancient hinges.

"Come over here and we'll talk all you want!" She yelled, trying to get at him. Aru grabbed the back of her vest to restrain her.

"Stop, Cedeile!" Aru cried. Axel laughed.

"You're so fun to make angry." He said. "Just like Sora."

"Shut up! I'll tear you apart!" Axel ignored her and walked up to the gate. He bent down so he was eye level with her.

"Try it, little girl. Because in the end, you're nothing after all." He laughed at her and stepped back as she reached out for his cloak. It seemed as though the gates might break after all, the way she shook them so.

"Why is everyone telling me I'm nothing! I'm the heartblade master!"

"That's right. You got stuff to do, don't you? Saving the universe and all. Very important."

"What do you want, anyway?" Aru asked. "You certainly must have something better to do with you time than bother us."

"Eh, maybe. By the way, how are you two enjoying Twilight Town?" Cedeile stopped acting like a maniac for a moment.

"Twilight Town?"

"Yup. This is a special memory, you know. It's from the other side of Sora's heart, and the kid doesn't have a clue."

"What do you mean, 'other side?'"

"Isn't it obvious? Oh yeah, your memory is gone. But you wouldn't understood if you remembered anyway, the way your mind works."

"Hey!" Cedeile yelled in offense.

"By the way, have you learned the price of memory yet?" Axel asked.

"Huh?" Cedeile asked. "Oh, that. I remember you asked me if I was ready to learn what the price of memory was, but I haven't discovered that yet."

"Figures." Axel said, sighing. "You're so hopeless."

"Shut up! I'm trying my best! You don't know what it's like to forget everything!" She yelled. Axel's look changed suddenly. He looked at her very seriously for once.

"In fact, I do know what it's like to forget. But it doesn't matter. The life I had is gone, and this is what's left for me." He gestured to himself. Cedeile raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"You'll find out eventually." He said. He opened a portal for himself. "Anyway, I've wasted enough time with you. Hey Cedeile, why don't you work on that memory thing, and the next time, you can tell me what you've learned." He walked through it without another glance back and it disappeared. Cedeile sighed.

"Damnit. Another mystery to solve."

"It's alright. I'm sure you'll figure it soon. But why do you need to know the price of memory?" Aru asked.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll know when I figure it out. But at this rate, it may take forever." She turned and leaned against the old iron. She crossed her arms in thought. "The price of memory…I wonder if it has something to do with what Agent 427 had to tell me."

"Cedeile, please…don't worry about it for now. Don't we have to catch up to Sora anyway?" Aru said in an attempt to cheer up her friend. Cedeile looked at her and smiled.

"You're right! Leon told me that Sora might help me remember!" She stood up straight and brushed dirt off of the back of her shorts. "Come on! Let's get going!"

"We'd better be careful when we leave. I have a feeling that Axel might want to ambush us!" Aru told her.

"Right, then." Cedeile replied. The two ran away from the mansion and back towards the town.

----

Ryu jerked awake and found himself still lying on the floor. He slowly pushed himself up, feeling cold and stiff from the hard marble. He blinked his eyes. The vision out of the left one was blurry, and would probably always be that way, thanks to that demon. He sighed and tried to remember what he was doing. He was trying to save Namine, because Lakchine and whomever she was working with had captured the heartblade master. He stood up and found his sword abandoned on the floor. He picked it up and slipped it back into it's scabbard, then he headed up the stairs. He thought back to Namine again, and wondered how she was. Then he cursed himself for letting her get captured. It seemed very odd though. He couldn't remember what he, Aru, and Namine had been doing before they got split up. The last thing he could think was that the left Sora after sealing Kingdom Hearts and ended up in some kind of field in the middle of nowhere. So much he had forgotten had come back all at once-meeting Namine in Traverse Town, Fighting the heartless together, he fragile body caught between the two keyblades…

At the time, he had thought she was dead, but her heart and soul had only gotten away from her body for awhile. He recalled one certain memory, when he had found her again in the darkness.

_When Ryu's eyes adjusted to the harsh light, he saw her, her back to him, standing off by herself. She stood so still, he wasn't sure she was real. This place was devoid of shadow, and all around him seem to sparkle. He felt like he was in some kind of church, the way the colors were reflected on the walls. Namine slowly turned around, her blue eyes smiling. _

_"Namine." He said, happy to finally see the true her. He smile grew wide and she ran to him._

_"Ryu! I knew you would find me here! I tried to call out to you, because you were so close to me!" she almost tackled him to the ground, she came at him with such force. He gratefully hugged back._

_"I'm glad to see you again!" He said. "I came for you, so that we could go back together. A lot has happened since the last time we met. Like Aru is really Hikari Tagami, or something. I'll have to fill you in later, I guess." They pulled apart and smiled at each other again. Then he remembered that she didn't quite look right and he pulled her bandana out of his cloak. "I've been holding onto this for you." He said. He took it in his two hands and attempted to tie it in her hair-_

"Wait a minute…" Ryu said out loud, stopping in his tracks. "Namine doesn't wear a bandana…"

----

"No!" Namine said, and she began erasing furiously, with tears streaming down her face. She brushed away the eraser debris and began to scribble like mad.

----

"That's right." Ryu said again, smacking his fist into his palm. "It was her star charm I gave back."

_Then he remembered that she didn't quite look right and he pulled her star charm out of his cloak. "I've been holding onto this for you." He said. He handed it to her, but she shook her head and pushed it back towards him. _

"_No, Ryu. You hold onto it." She said._

Ryu reached into his cloak and began looking for it. At last he found it, and held it in his gloved hand for a long time, just looking at the happy yellow star and the chain that it was clipped on. He sighed.

"Namine…" he said to himself. He put the object back in his cloak and then proceeded up the stairs. He reached the room at the top and saw a white door waiting for him. "Don't worry, I'm coming." He said, hoping that she heard him. He went to it, pulled it open, and then through to the other side.

----

They exited Twilight Town and practically jumped out into the hallway, ready to attack whoever might be waiting for them. When they saw no one was there, they sighed and relaxed themselves.

"That's a relief. I felt so sure that Axel might be here, waiting to surprise us." Cedeile said. Aru rubbed her arms as though she were cold.

"I can feel all the auras in the castle again. It's somewhat of a relief, but they're all so cold. I can't wait till we can leave this place." She said.

"What do you mean, the auras are cold?" Cedeile asked.

"It's just the way this castle makes everything feel. But it's better than that town. All auras seemed to be erased there, even mine and yours."

"That is bizarre." She replied. "Well, are you ready to continue?"

"Yes." The two walked up the stairs to the 12th floor and, when they arrived there, found some obstacles in their way.

"Looks like we have guests." Axel said. He stood in front of the door to the next floor, ad he was addressing the half angel-demon, who turned its head over its shoulder to see who he meant.

"Well this can't be good." Cedeile said to Aru.

"So, we meet again." The angel-demon said, turning fully around to face them.

"Cedeile, who is that?" Aru asked.

"Look. It's amusing how she addresses me as though I am a real thing." It scoffed. Axel laughed.

"This is too much!" he exclaimed. "Well, you were the one talking about how you wanted to kill everyone in the castle. Try these two-it should be a lot of fun for you." He told it. It glared back at him.

"You don't want to get rid of them?"

"It'll be more fun to watch you kill them." He replied. It turned back to them.

"Very well. I'll get rid of them both, and then I'll kill you." It replied. Axel laughed again.

"Yeah, sure. Death might not be so bad, since I'm not really alive now." He said. Cedeile and Aru readied themselves.

"Why are you doing this? We haven't done anything to you!" Cedeile said. It looked with indifference.

"I just want everyone to go away…" It said, extending the nails on its right hand. "I have no use for other, living things." Cedeile took out the heartblade and ran at it. It swung the staff towards it, but it blocked with its nails. Cedeile tried to push forward, but the angel-demon just threw her aside. She landed on her butt, but was unharmed for the most part. The angel-demon went for Aru next, flying on its gray wings towards her. Aru gathered flames in her hands while it came, and Cedeile pushed herself up and ran at its back, ready to strike it down.

It all happened very fast. Cedeile jumped up and swung the heartblade down, and at the same time, Aru unleashed a firaga on it. The spell sent both the angel-demon and Cedeile flying back. The two hit the floor, with Cedeile underneath.

"Ow! Thanks a lot, Aru!" She yelled from underneath gray wings. The angel-demon got up to its feet, allowing Cedeile to get up as well. Aru looked on as the two stared at each other, waiting for the next move to be made.

"You're very sloppy in your fights." The angel-demon said.

"Shut up. I don't even want to fight you! This is pointless!"

"Maybe to you."

"Let's just get this over with!"

----

6H: Thus another chapter ends!

Anaretsu: Thank the lord!

6H: Aw, shut up. Only about eight chapters left! That's a rough estimate, anyway.

Anaretsu: Then everyone dies and it's all over. The end!

6H: Not quite. KH2, remember?

Anaretsu: Damn.


	33. Floor 33:Support

6H: We're back!

Anaretsu: Oh joy.

6H: This chapter-Cedeile and Aru fight the angel-demon! And a very important person is remembered!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 33-Support

----

"Let's just get this over with!" Cedeile yelled. The angel-demon nodded.

"Fine. Maybe I'll make your death swift." It replied. It brought its right hand down at her, but Cedeile came up with the heartblade. Both of them were able to block each other. The heartblade became entangled within the foot-long nails. Both of them pushed, trying to break through to the other, but neither would yield. Cedeile moved her foot forward and pushed harder on her weapon so that she could get through to her foe. The angel-demon returned with equal force, trapping them both in a deadlock. Aru decided now was the time to interfere.

"AQUAGA!" She yelled. A horizontal vortex of water flew at the angel-demon and knocked it off its feet and into a wall. Cedeile ran back over to Aru.

"Thanks, Aru." Cedeile said.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah. Nothing to worry about here! But we better watch out. It has this one attack that can be fatal."

"Alright. Look! It's getting up!" The angel-demon rose, sopping wet and unshaken.

"Not bad." It said. Axel watched silently with interest.

"Let's stop this!" Cedeile yelled to it. "We don't have to-"

"Yes, we do." It replied. It shook out its wings and then came towards them. Cedeile dashed forward and leapt into the air. She brought the heartblade back behind her and then swung it forward. The angel-demon reached out its nails at her. As they passed, the sound of shredding fabric filled the air. Cedeile landed on the floor as some red material from her vest fluttered to the ground. Aru gasped.

"Cedeile!" Aru called. Cedeile turned and smiled at her.

"No worries, Aru." She said. "I'm not hurt."

"Thank goodness." Aru said under her breath. The angel-demon stood and quickly struck Cedeile while she wasn't paying attention. Aru screamed as the nails' sharp edges met flesh and released blood from its proper place. Cedeile gasped and grabbed the new cuts in her side. They weren't so bad, but they had caught her by surprise. The angel-demon was right behind her. She turned and slashed the heartblade at it. The purifying light hit and sent it stumbling back a few steps. Unfortunately, no blood was drawn. She attacked it again and again, but none of them were very effective.

"It's useless." It said. "You cannot win." Aru ran forward.

"EARTHA!" She yelled. Giant boulders appeared in the air, and fell under Aru's control. She moved them all and released them on top of the angel-demon. It raised its arms to protect itself as they all fell on it. Cedeile stepped back out of the way and waited for it to end. When all the boulders had fallen, they disappeared and left a huddled figure in gray on the ground. Before Cedeile could wonder if it was dead, it moved slightly. Axel clapped his hands in mock applause.

"Not bad, not bad!" He said. "I didn't know that thing could take so much." Cedeile turned back to him.

"It's not a thing!" Cedeile yelled at him. "It's a living being like me!" Axel laughed a bit.

"That's rich! Just like the heartblade master, though. You'll embrace anyone-demons, nobodies, angels-it's really too much!" The angel-demon listened as it tried to recover itself.

"So what? The angel-demon is person like me. Why do you call it 'thing?'"

"Because that's all it is. Vixen decided to mess around one day, and that's what came of it-that 'half angel-demon,' as he called it. Honestly, don't you find it creepy in the slightest? I'm always freaked out by it."

"No. There's nothing scary about it!" Cedeile yelled.

"Cedeile! The angel-demon is-" Before she could finish, gust of wind were swirling about the battle field.

"Twilight Gale!" The angel-demon yelled. Axel watched as the two girls were swept up in a gray windstorm and disappeared from sight. The storm stayed around for a few moments, and then slammed into the floor. When the winds cleared, there they were-the heartblade master and Hikari's shell, but they looked much more beat up than before. Cedeile had a cut above her right eye, a gash going from her collarbone to her right shoulder, and several gashes in her right side, as well as the ones in the left from before. Her right sleeve was in shreds, revealing several cuts, all of which had blood running down her arm and painting a red path. Aru was no better-her left sleeve was cut apart and hanging over her belt while she cradled her left arm, which was a mass of red. Her right knee was also completely red. Across her back was a large gash that extended from the base of her neck down to between her shoulder blades. Axel was amazed the two of them could stand.

The angel-demon stood in front of the two of them, and from Axel's point of view, seemed surprised as well. Cedeile looked to Aru.

"How you holding up?"

"I'm okay. What about you?"

"Honestly, I've been a lot better." Cedeile replied. "What do we do?"

"We can't survive another one of those attacks. We have to finish this quickly." Aru told her.

"Alright. I'll try." Cedeile said. She raised the heartblade and winced as she grasped it with both hands. The angel-demon had both hands with nails extended, ready for whatever Cedeile brought. The black-haired girl ran forward and made a cross shape with the heartblade. The angel-demon was ready. "HOLY PURIF-" The angel-demon struck.

"Cedeile!" Aru yelled.

All ten nails had punctured her and ripped through the back of her shirt. Ten thin streams of blood accompanied them. Her limp body flew back into the air and hit the wall, and slumped down like a rag doll. Her hand with the heartblade in it dropped to the floor, and the staff disappeared. Axel raised an eyebrow. There was an awfully big puddle of blood forming on the ground.

"Cedeile?" Aru called. There was no response, no flash of green eyes. "No…you can't be…Cedeile…" Aru shook and dared not to move forward. The angel-demon watched with wide eyes. It had finally been successful in killing someone, but why wasn't it satisfactory? So what, one more human erased from the world. This should be a good thing.

With the realization that Cedeile was dead, Aru screamed.

----

Her body continued to fall through the darkness, just like in that stupid dream from so long ago. It was cold, and dark, but she didn't care. Sleep would be good…yeah, that sounded good. Her body was racked the sharp jolt of pain.

"This is it…" she sighed. "Ah, well…" She opened her eyes and saw the endless darkness that reached up above her. "So this is death. I wonder if I'm going to heaven or hell…" She floated into a half sitting position and looked down at herself. Instead of seeing half of her body blood soaked, everywhere that blood had coated her was now coated in shadow. She didn't really care though. From what her one eye that wasn't covered in shadow could see, it wouldn't really matter what she looked like. She let herself fall back and leave the world of the living.

"No, Cedeile! You can't give up!" a voice called to her. A very familiar voice too…

"So? Who cares?" she answered tiredly.

"Lots of people! They're all depending on you! You have your family, your friends, and all the people you've met."

"I can't remember half of them anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"That doesn't matter. They are all still with you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Cedeile asked, annoyed. She just wanted to settle in for the big sleep, not be drilled by some voice.

"Whenever you would meet someone, you'd take away with you a part of them, and they'd be left with a part of you, deep within their hearts. All of those who believe in you give you strength because of the unbreakable bond you have with them. Even if you can't remember them, you are still connected to them, and they will always be connected to you." Cedeile processed all this.

"So, even if I don't remember them, they're still with me?"

"And they believe in you and your power. You are one of the ones that can save all the worlds."

"But, everyone says I'm useless. That I'll just disappear into history, never remembered by anyone."

"You can change your fate, Cedeile. You don't have to burn out."

"Really?"

"I think you can. After all, I don't think I could ever forget you."

"Will I ever regain all my memories?"

"I'm sure you will. It's not so hard, is it? If everyone from your life is right there in your heart always, then it should be easy to remember all of them."

"What about the truth? The price of memory? What are all these things?"

"You have to learn that on your own."

"But why can't everyone just tell me what I need to know!" Cedeile yelled at the voice. "Why do I always have to find things out on my own?"

"Because if people told you everything, then you'd never get any stronger. You have to find your memories on your own, because they are only yours, and no one else can just give them to you. And also, because it will make you strong." There was a lapse of silence, and she thought the voice had left.

"So, I guess I can't die yet, huh?"

"No. Many people would bee very sad if you did, including me."

"And my mom and dad would be too. And Aru and Riku…and you. Can I even go back now?"

"Of course. Keep fighting, Cedeile. I know you can do it." The darkness around her became a brilliant light. She sighed and let herself be swept back to her body. Before everything faded out, she smiled to herself.

"Thank you so much…Kairi."

----

The angel-demon brought down a clawed hand towards the small mage, who in turn struck upwards with a fire spell. It moved its body to avoid the attack, and Aru was able to dodge the nails. A sudden moan and the sound of moving clothes caused them to look over to the body slumped against the wall. Cedeile had moved.

"What?" the angel-demon exclaimed in a whisper, amazed. The girl was alive? It was not possible.

"Cedeile!" Aru yelled, relieved. The heartblade master opened one eye and looked out at the room. After seeming to get what was going on straight, she slowly tried to get up, using the wall as a crutch. Both watched as Cedeile slipped and got up again. Angry green eyes confronted her enemy.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked angrily.

"I already told you my vow." It replied. It pushed Aru away and walked toward the bloody pulp that was Cedeile. "What better reason do I need? This is not a life for me, this is a nightmare. I have nothing left. These people in this castle do not treat me as a living being with feelings."

"We're not exactly 'alive' either." Axel inputted.

"I want to get rid of all my pain. As long as there are people in this world, I will continue to hurt."

"That's sad that you think that. If you were completely alone, would you feel pain any less?" Cedeile asked. "Of course not. Certainly, we get hurt by people all the time, but getting rid of everyone doesn't solve anything!"

"That is your logic, because you are accepted by people."

"Not everyone accepts me. Some people can't stand me, and there are some people I don't like either, but I still go on living with everyone. This whole fight is a waste of time."

"So fighting me is a waste of time?" It asked. "You do not find me worthy of your time, then?"

"No! Nothing like that! I mean that we could be friends and fight the organization together!" Cedeile explained.

"Now just hold on a minute-" Axel began, but the two ignored him.

"Why would I join you? We're not the same at all. You have an identity, while I do not. You are a child of the world and I am just a mistake brought about by the unquenchable curiosity of man."

"But we have a common enemy. And I can help you. I can give you an identity. Because other people give us an identity, and we give an identity to other people is why we all need each other. I should think of a name for you. Do you know about parents and their children? It's our parents who name us when we are born, and help us to grow into a good person. It's not that much different for demons or angels, and certainly, the same can apply to you. Once you have a name, it's easy for you to get an identity!" The angel-demon thought for a moment. Aru watched in suspense.

"What's the point?" it asked sadly. "I can't…"

"You don't know that. You just have to try!" Cedeile insisted.

"Well, I…" It was about to answer when, suddenly it gasped and blood spurted out of its back. Black liquid flew out of two large gashes in its back. Its eyes were wide in shock.

"That was too easy." Axel stated as his charkams returned to his hands. "Really, you make so much easy for me, Cedeile." Cedeile caught the angel-demon as it fell forward from its injuries. She glared over at him.

"Why are you getting involved! Why did you attack…her?"

"Her?"

"Well, she looks like a girl. Anyway, why did you attack her!" Cedeile demanded again.

"Because I can. And because its in my way. No, if you excuse me, I have to go help Sora along. See you later, heartblade master." He disappeared in a swirl of darkness. Cedeile turned her attention back to the angel-demon. "Hang in there! Are you alright?" She set it down against the wall so it could rest. Aru came over as well.

"Cedeile…"

"Aru, will she be okay?" Cedeile asked, worried.

"I don't know, Cedeile." Aru replied. Suddenly, it gave a raspy breath.

"Leave me. I'll die here. Death can also stop the pain."

"No!" Cedeile exclaimed. She knelt right down next to it. "You have to survive! I know you can!"

"Why would I even want to?" it asked sadly. It turned its head away and closed its eyes in shame. "I have nothing. I already knew that my master was dead by the hand of Sora, but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted the honor of killing my master, my creator. I hate Sora. He took from me my salvation and revenge."

"That's a sad way to live, you know." Cedeile said. "You don't need to kill your master to get salvation. You can live freely now, right?"

"Not until I kill everyone in Castle Oblivion." It responded stubbornly. It turned its gaze up to the ceiling. "I have to…"

"You don't. We'll take you with us and get you help. Aru, can you see if you can heal her?"

"I'll try Cedeile." She summoned up her life-giving magic. "CURAGA!" She cast it on the both of them, but only Cedeile was healed.

"Why doesn't it work!"

"I don't know." Aru admitted. "Probably because it-I mean she- is different from a human. Angel-demons are just composed of different substances than we are, and they don't react to magic the same way."

"Is there someone who can help her?" Cedeile asked.

"Maybe…maybe Namine can help her. Namine did tell me she was a witch." Aru recalled back to her conversation with the witch.

"Then we'll bring you to Namine." Cedeile told it. It looked at her with its hopeless, hazel eyes.

"Why bother to save me? I tried to kill you!" It asked.

"Because I won't just let you die." She replied. She turned to Aru. "Let's go. Sora is waiting, and we have to find Namine!" Cedeile lifted one of the angel-demon's arms over her shoulder and helped it along up the stairs to the door. Aru walked along side them and opened it for them, letting them through first. She closed it securely behind them with a soft click.

----

The soft wind blew into their faces, providing refreshment and calmness. The ocean waves lapped at the shore, leaving a cool mist on their legs and arms. The leaves above them danced with the breeze, making the shadows move delicately and magically. Cedeile's green eyes showed amazement and awe. A huge wave crashed up at them, as if trying to reach for her. This island…

"Cedeile?"

"Aru, this place is fantastic. I feel like it's so close to me." Aru sighed as the wind played with her hair.

"This is your home. You and Sora are from this island." Cedeile whipped her head around to look at her.

"You've gotta be kidding! I live _here_?"

"Before you met me and Ryu you did. Is anything coming back to you?"

"What is this place called?"

"Destiny Islands." Cedeile went silent and looked at the sand at her feet. She gently set down the angel-demon and walked closer to the water. It rushed up around her shoes, but then slunk back to join the rest of the ocean.

"This place…I can't really believe that I lived here…" Aru stayed silent. "Aru, can you watch her for me? I want to look around. If I really did live here, then I want to remember it."

"I understand, Cedeile." Aru replied. Cedeile turned and walked down the beach, out of the shade and into the sunlight.

----

6H: Thus ends chapter 33. At least five more chapters till the ending extravaganza!

Anaretsu: Feh.

6H: Next chapter will probably be insanely long. Will Cedeile finally meet Sora? What about Ryu? Now that Axel has betrayed the organization, what will he do? Will Namine's role be realized in all of this? What of Anya? Most questions will be answered!

Anaretsu: Uh….are we done now?

6H: Preview time!

"_Hey, stop following me around already! You're so annoying!"_

"_You're wrong! Namine and I made a promise. She has nothing to do with you!"_

"_Riku? Is that really you? Because if it is, I just wanted to say I'm sorry."_

"_This is my fault, mostly. I've been messing with your memories."_

6H: It's all coming at you in chapter 34!


	34. Floor 34:THe Homeland that Must be

6H: Cedeile is now on Destiny Islands. Will she remember what she needs to, or will she encounter Sora first?

Anaretsu: Does anyone care?

6H: It is thus time for our story to begin.

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 34-The Homeland that must be remembered!

----

'Because now, I remember. Kairi, Riku, and myself…we played on the island all the time. This is our home. This is where I'm from. And Mom and Dad are here, too. But I can't remember this place clearly enough. It doesn't feel like my home at all. It feels like a place I have stepped into for the first time.'

She walked quickly over the sand, leaving Aru and the angel-demon behind. Her mind became consumed with thoughts of her past-before the fractured journey that she could barely make out, before becoming the heartblade master. She wanted to go back to the innocent childhood she had led, or assumed that she led. And she would take it however it came.

'Because I want to remember-this time, on my own. Everyone was right-only I can remember my own memories, and I have to do it alone, so I can get strong. Because everyone was right. Because I want to remember everything…'

She broke into a run, and hadn't realized yet that she was steadily crying. Tears blew off her face as she dashed across the sand. This was home, even if it was only an illusion. She heard some voices in the distance and looked up to see three kids her age-two boys and a girl-playing on the beach. She skidded to a stop before they saw her. She hated for her friends to see her cry.

"Hey, it's Cedeile!" One of them said. He had blonde hair and a scar on his cheek.

"What's up, Cedeile? Anything wrong? You look like you got into a fight with Riku again." The girl replied while skipping rope.

"You two are always goin at it, ya." Said the other boy, with red hair that stuck upright.

"Uh…no. We didn't get into a fight." She said. She couldn't remember their names, but she wouldn't tell them. She felt that at one time, they had been her friends.

"That's good, ya. Some of us have been getting tired of all that fighting." He replied.

"Yo, Cedeile! Up for some blitzball?" The blonde boy asked.

"Ugh." The girl sighed, and turned around, never missing a step as she turned her jump rope. "Cedeile, I can't understand why you like that kind of stuff."

"I don't know. I just do." She shrugged.

"Hey, Selphie! Cedeile's cool like that. Unlike you." He sneered. Selphie turned her head and stuck her tongue out at him.

"If you like her so much, than go marry her, Tidus!" She yelled back. Tidus blushed.

"So, are ya in?" the other boy asked.

"I'm sorry. I've got some stuff to do…" she said.

"Looking for Sora?" Tidus asked.

"Yes, actually! Have you seen him?" Cedeile said with hope. Sora was here? Now? This was perfect!

"Wakka saw him, didn't you?" Tidus said. Wakka thought for a moment.

"Yah. He's up with Namine and Riku. In the usual place, ya know?"

"With Namine?" Cedeile said, confused. "Where's Kairi?" They all stopped. Selphie ceased jump roping, and Wakka stopped kicking the ball around.

"Who's Kairi?" Tidus asked. Suddenly, the island became very fuzzy, like a broken TV. It froze for a moment and then returned to normal again. Cedeile blinked and rubbed her eyes.

"Cedeile? Are you okay?" Selphie asked.

" Um…yeah. I better go see them now." She said. "Later, you guys." She turned and walked briskly away from them.

"Kairi? I've never heard of a Kairi before."

"What do you think the three of them are doing up there? Are they going to make Namine decide who to share the paopu with?"

"I hope its Sora. He's been in love with her forever."

"Stop it, Selphie! No one cares about romance! Right, Wakka?"

"But if Riku makes his move…" He replied.

"Ugh! The both of you are crazy!" Their voices faded off as Cedeile ran up a path that went to what looked like the front of a boat, all made out of wood. She thought she might vaguely remember this place, but it was the figure casually leaning against the railing and looking out to sea that startled all the thoughts of memories right out of her. Sheceased her furious walking and stopped dead. It seemed he had not noticed her yet.

He was a boy her age, at least, and the wind was tossing his slightly long oak brown hair. His long brown cloak went to his ankles. A giant scabbard with a hilt sticking out of the end was strapped on his back. But it was his eyes that took her off guard the most. He blinked, looked casually to the side, and then turned to face her, standing at his full height. He was only an inch or two taller than herself. He looked slightly surprised, with his lips parted slightly. She couldn't help but stare.

Navy blue eyes…

But the left one was foggier than the right.

"Who are you?" He asked. She failed to respond. His surprise faded away and was replaced by annoyance as he crossed his arms in front of him. "Are you deaf or just stupid?"

"Sorry! Hey, have we met before?" she asked.

"Now I think you're crazy. I've never seen you before." She took a few steps closer to him and extended her hand.

"I'm Cedeile." She said forcefully. She shook her hand, gesturing that she wanted a handshake. He didn't return the offer, but just looked straight at her.

"Ryosuke. I'm a fragment hunter." He replied. She drew her hand back.

"Is there something I could call you by-something shorter?" She asked.

"No." He replied bluntly.

"Are you sure? Because Ryosuke is a very long name."

"Well, Cedeile is a bizarre name." He replied. He walked forward and pushed her gently aside. "Now, please leave me alone. There's someone special to me in danger." He began to walk down the path from which she had come. She pursued him under the shadowy trees.

"Who is it? Your girlfriend?" She smirked. Ryosuke blushed.

"No! I mean…I don't think she is. I kind of…was made to forget her."

"Made to forget?" she asked. She ran up along aside him and grabbed onto his cloak to make him slow down. "You mean by magic or something? I forget too! Everything I knew was taken from me as well! Perhaps we did know each other before!" He stopped abruptly and pulled her hand off him.

"Would you stop saying my name like that?" he demanded, facing her.

"Like how?"

"The way you say it…it just sounds strange!" He yelled. She frowned.

"Ryosuke! I don't see what's wrong with how I say it!" She yelled back.

"You say it the way Namine says it!" He gasped at his own outburst and turned away slightly to avoid her stare.

"You know Namine too, Ryosuke?" she asked.

"Ryu."

"What?"

"You can call me Ryu. It's better than hearing you butcher my name." He said. She sighed. This was a very odd situation-she felt as though she had met this person before and knew him well, but that if they did know each other, they wouldn't be exactly like this.

"Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"Positive. Believe me-you're so annoying it'd be hard to forget you."

"Hey! That was just uncalled for!" she said. She approached him, grabbed his cloak and got right up in his face.

"What the hell are you doing now?" He asked with annoyance in his voice. Her dark emerald green eyes were staring right into his, and he didn't like it.

"Your eyes tell me different, Ryu. This color…I feel like I've seen it before." She frowned slightly. "What happened to your left eye? It's…cloudier than the right." She went to poke it, as if to stupidly test if he was blind, but he swatted her hand away and pushed her off him.

"You're stupid! I've never seen you before, so just leave me alone! I just want to find who I'm looking for and leave!" He yelled at her. She clenched her hands into fists.

"I've lost everything! I hardly remember anything! But I have this feeling that I _know_ you! And I also think…you like how I say your name!"

"What?"

"Yeah, I think you like they way I say Ryosuke! You're even blushing!"

"I am not!" He replied hastily.

"You are too! Please don't lie to me! Tell me how I know you! Please!" He was about to respond with a mean comment, but this strange girl had suddenly run to him and encircled him in her arms. He was frozen.

"What are you doing?" He asked quietly with disbelief.

"Please…tell me you remember, because then maybe I will too…" she begged. He sighed and removed her from him. He looked at her and saw her face wet from tears.

"Good lord, and now you're crying too. I'm sorry, but honestly-I don't know you! I wish I could help out with your problem, but I can't."

"But I know you! Even if I can't find the memories in my head, I can find the feelings in my heart, and my heart is telling me that I know you!" She yelled back at him. He sighed. This was just his luck-meeting some insane girl who claimed to know him. But he didn't have time for this.

"Look, I'm busy right now. Can we sort this out later or something?" he asked. "I'm begging you-I have to save this girl!" Cedeile frowned.

"Oh god, I guess. But you have to promise me!"

"I promise." He said. "Now, I need to go." He started walking towards his destination, but stopped after a minute and turned around. Cedeile was walking behind him. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked, annoyed.

"I guess we're going the same way. I'm here to find Sora." He rolled his eyes. Just his luck that she had somebody to find as well; and it was Sora, of course. He was hoping not to run into Sora at this moment and admit that Namine was captured. Though he probably had already found out.

"You know where he is?"

"Yes. The usual place. I think it's over this way." She stepped around him and began walking to a door in the rock. When she got to it, she turned and looked back at Ryu. "Are you coming?"

"I guess." He replied, and they both went through the door.

----

"What now? More interference?" A voice asked.

Cedeile and Ryu froze. A boy with long silver hair, and another boy with spiky brown hair were already in this room. It seemed they had been in the middle of something, and that this unexpected entrance had disrupted them.

"Riku!" Cedeile exclaimed. "Riku, I never thought I'd see you here!"

"Huh?" The brown haired boy asked. "Riku, how do you know this girl?"

"I don't know her. I've never seen her before in my life." Riku stated.

"How can you say that? We grew up together! We used to fight all the time, and our moms would yell at us for it. Remember?"

"More lies." Riku snarled at her. "You're trying to take Namine from me too."

"What are you talking about?" Cedeile asked.

"Hold on a minute!" Ryu yelled. "Sora, what are you doing here?"

"Sora? Sora is here!" Cedeile exclaimed.

"I'm Sora." The boy with the spiky hair said. Cedeile turned towards him and looked at him for the first time. His eyes widened. "Hey! How'd you get my necklace!"

"Huh?" Cedeile was confused.

"That chain around your neck is mine! I thought I lost it." He explained.

"This was given to me." Cedeile explained. "But I can't remember by who. I know it was someone important. But I've been looking for you. You can help me remember! That's what Leon told me."

"You know Leon too?"

"Yes. From a long time ago."

"Okay, okay, this is nice and all, but Sora, what are you doing here?" Ryu asked angrily.

"I'm trying to save Namine and Riku. And how do you know my name?" Sora asked.

"How dense are you?" Ryu sounded angry now. "I was traveling with Namine while you were with Donald and Goofy!"

"Why were you with Namine?" Both Riku and Sora asked.

"Because we kind of met up and she said she had a mission…"

"That can't be right." Sora said. "The night of the meteor shower, she disappeared."

"What meteor shower?" Ryu asked.

"Wait, both of you know Namine?" Cedeile asked.

"How do you know her?" Ryu asked.

"Aru does. She asked Aru to protect Sora a little while ago."

"Wait a minute! Is this Aru you know kind of short and a mage?"

"Yeah, that's right." Cedeile answered.

"How do you know Aru? She was traveling with me and Namine."

"No. She and I and another person traveled together." Cedeile answered.

"And you're both wrong!" Sora yelled. "She disappeared!"

"You can't have been with Aru, because Namine and I were!" Ryu argued, ignoring Sora.

"No, I was with Aru! She was there when I got stabbed by the two keyblades."

"You're wrong again!" Ryu yelled. "That was Namine who got in the way of the attack!"

"It wasn't Namine!" Sora jutted in. "In fact, that never even happened!"

"Yes it did! And then Namine went to End of the World, where I saved her." Ryu explained.

"That didn't happen either!"

"It did too! And she gave me her Star Charm to thank me!" He pulled out of his coat a little yellow star on a metal chain. Sora and Riku froze.

"What's going on here?" Riku questioned. He pulled something out of his pocket-it was the same star on a chain. "Namine gave me her Star charm when I promised to protect her."

"No! She gave it to me!" Sora said, and took out the exact same thing. Cedeile's eyes moved to each boy-Riku, Sora, then Ryu. How could each of them have the exact same object, yet memories that conflicted with each other? "I promised to protect Namine that night." Sora stated.

"What's going on here?" Cedeile asked. Suddenly, the door opened again, and in came Aru with the angel-demon's arm slung over her shoulder. She set it down against a tree.

"Aru!" Cedeile and Ryu exclaimed at the same time.

"Is everything alright?" Cedeile asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry-I know you told me to wait, but you were taking such a long time that I got worried and came looking for you. Ryu is even here too!"

"Aru, tell Sora and Riku about how I brought Namine back at End of the World!" Ryu demanded.

"Thanks for asking how I've been Ryu-I'm fine." She replied sarcastically. "And what are you talking about? You don't know Namine."

"I do too! Remember how I promised to not let her die before me? How we both decided to protect her because she was the heartblade master?"

"WHAT!" Aru, Cedeile, Riku, and Sora yelled.

"What's the heartblade?" Sora asked.

"Namine was never…" Riku trailed off.

"Ryu, are you insane?" Aru asked.

"I'm the heartblade master!" Cedeile stated.

"You? The heartblade master? No way, Namine was the heartblade master." Ryu said firmly. "At Hallow Bastion when Sora and Riku were fighting, Namine jumped in between them and got hit with the two keyblades, causing her soul and heart to separate from her body. But then we found her at End of the World, or I did anyway."

"That's exactly what happened to me!" Cedeile exclaimed. "I went to End of the World and was lost in the darkness. Not that I remember how I got back, but…"

"Ryu, Cedeile is right. You've never even met Namine. Only I have." Aru told him.

"Yeah, that's right!" Cedeile agreed.

"But I don't know of a heartblade master." Sora stated.

"Neither do I." Added Riku.

"But Riku, you told me before that you were worried about Cedeile."

"But I don't know this girl." Riku replied.

"And I don't know her either! How can you say that you grew up here!" Sora yelled suddenly. Everyone stared at him. "Oh….Sorry about that. I'm just worried about Namine. She's very…important to me."

"Hey, she's important to me too!" Ryu said. "I promised her that I'd protect her."

"Ryu…you made that promise to Cedeile." Aru said. "I remember that…back in Nightville when we were fighting Lady Chain."

"That's when I promised Namine." Ryu said. "Aru, don't you remember how scared Namine was all the time?"

"Ryu, what's happened to you? Why don't you remember Cedeile?" Aru asked, tearfully. "We're all friends! Why can't we remember each other?"

"Aru, it's okay! Everything will work out somehow!" Cedeile soothed, running to her side. "Kairi told me it would all be okay!"

"Kairi?" Ryu, Riku and Sora questioned. Suddenly, the island around them became fuzzy again, just like before, but then came back into focus. Everyone blinked and tried to confirm that what had just happened had happened at all.

"What was that?" Ryu asked.

"It happened before, when I asked Tidus, Selphie and Wakka about Kairi. But why does that happen?"

"Who's Kairi?" Sora asked.

"Sora! You of all people should know who she is!" Aru exclaimed.

----

"Can't you change her memory?" Marucia asked her. Namine whimpered and began trying.

"I can't…Hikari Tagami is just too strong." She answered.

"Damn it!" He stormed out of the room. Namine sighed and scratched at the paper almost idly. Footsteps intruded on her thoughts, and made her shake. Perhaps Marucia had come back to punish her? She looked up, her eyes slowly moving up the black coated figure. But it was not Marucia.

"Axel?" Namine asked in fear.

"How long can you live with yourself, Namine?" He asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?"

"Your hero needs you now. If you don't like what you're doing, then stop. Isn'tit time you take matters into your own hands?"

"How can I? I'm not strong enough." She grasped her sketchbook to her chest tightly. "I can't go against Marucia's wishes."

"That's not really what you believe, is it? Or is that Marucia's knocked you around so many times you're too scared to think of anything else. You've got your own power, Namine." He pointed to her sketchbook. "Use it right this time." She held it out in front of her and stared at it for a long time. Then, she slowly stood up, lifted it above her head, and threw it to the floor. The loud smacking noise echoed throughout the empty room.

"You're right. I have to fix things. And I'll do it on my own." Axel bent down and picked up the sketchbook. Slowly, he handed it to her.

"Then start now."

She took it from him, opened it, and flipped to one page. Taking her eraser, she rubbed something out. Looking satisfied, she closed it again, and ran out of the room. Axel smirked to himself when he was alone.

"Looks like the players are in place and the curtain is ready to go up for the final act. Sora, Namine, Cedeile, Marucia-you better give me on hell of a show!"

----

Ryu gasped. Everyone turned to look as the Star Charm in his hand disappeared. Then, they were all silent.

"How could this…Namine?" Ryu muttered.

"Now this is just plain bizarre! What the hell is going on?" Cedeile yelled.

"Well, one thing is certain-" Sora began. "We all, in one way or another, know Namine. But the question is, who's lying. I know I promised Namine I'd protect her. I have her star charm to prove it. And since Ryu's is a fake, we know he must be lying."

"Shut your mouth, keyblade boy!" Ryu yelled, and ran at him, with his fist pulled back. His fist made contact with Sora's left cheek and sent him staggering.

"Ryu, stop this!" Aru yelled. "This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"I was always protecting her while you ran willy-nilly all over the freakin' universe! You say that's not true? Bullshit! I certainly loved her more than you!" He yelled. Aru gasped.

"Ryu, you don't know what you're saying." She said gently, while keeping her distance.

"What does it matter? So he loves her, big deal."

"But he doesn't know her!" Aru explained. "Somehow, his and Sora's and Riku's memories have been modified so that they all know Namine. But they don't really."

"How can you say that, Aru?" Ryu turned to look at her. "I know what I'm feeling is real." He turned back to Sora. "I love her, damnit. And I won't have anyone, especially _you, _telling me that I'm lying."

"Ryu, you don't know what you're talking about. I'm telling you the truth-we have never journeyed with Namine." Aru said.

"How would you know, Aru? Maybe your memories were erased, and then you were made to believe that girl-" he pointed at Cedeile, "was the heartblade master."

"Because I met Namine. And she asked me to help you defeat Marucia and the organization. Because she was worried about you." She told Sora.

"What else did she say! Is she mad I forgot her?" He asked desperately. Aru sighed. She couldn't repeat the rest of the conversation.

And luckily, she didn't have to, for just then, the ground beneath them began to shake. Riku began to disappear.

"Riku!" Sora called.

"Forget you! I'm going to save Namine myself!" He yelled, and faded out completely. The sky above them turned dark, and the winds began to pick up. And down from the sky came a giant heartless.

"Darkside!" Sora and Ryu exclaimed. Cedeile gasped.

'I remember that heartless! That's the one that destroyed the island!'

----

Agent 427 sat in the empty chair, disappointed. It seemed that the witch had gone on without her. She had wanted talk to her first, but it would just have to wait for later. Still, it would've been nice to discuss things before everything go complicated. Suddenly, a portal opened next to her. Out of it stepped a person in a black hooded coat, but she did not draw her weapon or prepare for a fight. Instead, she just smirked and looked at him. The figure was short, shorter than she was.

"I'm surprised you decided to come here. It's dangerous, you know."

" I know." He answered. He sounded young. "I thought you were with her."

"I left. I guess I lost my temper. But I'm not sure I care anymore." She said. "She's childish and stubborn, and annoying. It's hard to deal with her. Besides, I don't think I can stand being around her."

"Because she's so emotional that it touches your cold heart?" He asked innocently. She sighed, her looked softened, and she looked back to him.

"Yes, I guess so. I just can't handle her. I'm not strong at all, am I?"

"Of course you are. I understand how it is for you, but you promised."

"I know I did."

"You have to go back. Not just for me, but for yourself. See why I have so much faith in her as the heartblade master. You need to feel what others have felt when they've been touched by her." She sighed again when he finished.

"I hate it when you're right." She said after a long silence.

"I know you do."

"And yet you do it on purpose."

"Yeah, pretty much." She stood up and he came over to her.

"Are you going to meet her?"

"Later."

"I know you've been wanting to."

"Later, I said. That's the best time."

"Fine. I'll see you then."

"Yes." He opened another portal and left the room. Agent 427 walked out shortly after, with renewed ambition.

----

"Holy freakin' crap!" Cedeile exclaimed. "It's so huge! Can we beat it?" Indeed, Darkside did tower far above them. It seemed a next to impossible task to take it on, but what choice did they have.

"Shut up! Of course we can take it on!" Ryu yelled at her. Aru touched Cedeile's arm in reassurance.

"It's okay, Cedeile. We've faced much worse than this. Maybe you'll remember those battles when you fight along with us again." Cedeile smiled at this. Sora took out the keyblade and ran at it. Ryu drew his sword as well and charged at the feet.

"Well, I can't let these guys show me up." She said to herself. She took out the heartblade and leapt up into the air. "Holy Purification!" She shouted as she sent a cross at the heartless. Sora landed on the ground again and watched in awe as Darkside stumbled back a few steps. Ryu watched grudgingly as well.

'I won't believe that this girl is…' he thought. He ignored her and ran at Darkside, slashing at one of its legs again. It looked right down at him and swiped with one of its giant arms. He found himself being swept off the ground and knocked off the island, into the water.

"Ryu!" Aru screamed. Cedeile looked over to her when she landed again.

"What's wrong?"

"Ryu got knocked into the water!" Aru called back. Cedeile gasped and looked towards the direction where he'd gone flying. Then, she looked to Sora.

"Keep the big guy occupied for me, alright?" she said.

"Huh? You want me to fight alone?"

"It'll be alright. Kairi told me it would be." She replied before running off the edge of the island and jumping down into the dark waters below. Sora looked back up at Darkside, who was preparing a massive ball of energy.

"BLIZZARA!" Aru yelled, sending snow and ice at it. This fazed him a bit, enough for Sora to go in for a new attack. He jumped up and went for the eyes. He slashed left, and then right, and went in for the final blow, but was smacked out of the way by a giant, black hand. Aru ran over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Ah! The back of your head is-" He touched the back of his skull and felt something warm and sticky. He pulled his fingers away and examined them to discover blood on them.

"Damn." He said softly.

"Curaga!" Aru let the warm light wash over him, and he felt the gaping wound in the back of his hand close up and heal on its own.

"Thanks Aru." He said, smiling.

"It's just like old times. I just wish you could remember the old times."

"Honestly, so do I." He replied.

Their moment was cut short when Darkside's hand came down a crushed Aru under its immense weight. Sora was frozen in shock. That girl who had been smiling and talking to him just a moment before was…

Meanwhile in the treacherous waters below, Cedeile was franticly looking for the cloaked warrior. She could not see him nearby, and wondered whether he had drowned. Desperate, she dove underneath the water and looked about. The salt stung at her eyes, and forced her to give up. She darted back to the surface for air and began to navigate the thrashing waves. Then, she thought she heard someone calling for her. She turned behind her, but no one was there. She pressed on again, but heard it faintly-her name, gently traveling over the waves to her ears.

"_Cedeile! Come back!" a young boy yelled. _

"_It'll be fine! I wanna see how far I can go!" A younger Cedeile called back. _

"_Don't do it! What if you drown?"_

"_I won't drown. Don't be silly, S-"_

"Hey stupid! Pay attention or you'll crash into the rocks!" She snapped back to the present. It seemed that she had been swept back to the base of the island. Crouching on a rock, completely soaked, was Ryu, offering a hand to her. She took it and he helped her out of the water.

"Thanks." She said.

"What were you doing down here anyway?" he asked.

"Looking for you. I thought you might be in trouble…" Her voice got quieter as she neared the end of the sentence. The two of them looked at each other, oddly embarrassed. Ryu rubbed the back of his head awkwardly while Cedeile looked at the water below her. At last, she was able to speak. "Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm okay."

"That's good. We could use your help." She replied.

"Um, thanks, I guess." She looked at him, surprised.

"For what?"

"I guess…I was a jerk to you before. I don't know what it's like to lose all your memory and have to pick them back up, one by one, and piece them together. But, I have to know-are you really the heartblade master?"

"I am. That's what…that's what I remembered after I woke up. The first thing I remembered was that this weapon I had was called the heartblade."

"But Namine…this doesn't make any sense." He said, downtrodden.

"Hey, it's alright. When we see Namine, we'll just talk to her about it." Cedeile told him, reassuringly putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked directly at her. "Then, I'm sure we'll work all this out." For the first time since she met him, he smiled, and put one of his hands on the one she had on his shoulder.

"Thank you." He said simply. They stayed like that for a while, and then they both realized they were in the middle of a fight. They smiled embarrassedly at each other and let go. "Should we head back?"

"Probably." She responded. The two made their way back.

----

Darkside lifted his hand, revealing the crumpled form of Aru laying on the ground. Sora didn't want to check if she was alive or dead, but turned to the giant heartless. Wiping some tears from his eyes, he charged at it again, once more going for the eyes. He landed a few hits and then had to land on the ground. Suddenly, he found himself joined by two others.

"Hey Sora. We figured you couldn't handle things on your own." Ryu said as he held his sword in an offensive stance. The girl in red was at his other side.

"Aru is-" He started at first, but then couldn't finish.

"Let's concentrate on defeating this thing!" She said. Ryu went on ahead of them. Sora had to ask something.

"What's your name?" he asked. He felt like he knew her from somewhere, just beyond his grasp.

"I'm Cedeile, and I've been looking for you, Sora." She replied. He smiled slightly.

"Um, not to interrupt your nice, fuzzy moment, but get over here and help kill this damn heartless!" Ryu yelled at them. They both smiled at each other, and ran in to finish the fight. But that proved easier said than done. Darkside had very good defense at work for him, and the three of them were finding it hard to make any ground of any kind.

Aru had shakily raised herself from the ground, but found herself left useless-her one arm was completely crushed and limp at her side. She could easily have fixed it with curaga, but wanted to wait for the others-she'd heal them all at once. While she watched them struggling against it, she felt a presence make its way to her side. It was the angel-demon, still gravely injured from their fight earlier. Aru looked up at it silently as it staggered towards the ensuing battle. When it came to stop in front of Darkside, it threw both arms out to the sides and extended all ten nails.

"Cedeile, are you okay?" Sora asked as she got thrown to the ground. She gingerly touched a cut above her forehead.

"Somewhat." She answered to herself. Then she, too, noticed the angel-demon standing in the midst of the storm, arms extended. Cedeile wondered what it was going to do. Had it changed its mind-was it just going to finish them all off now? She heard the words she dreaded sounded on the wind.

"Twilight Gale!" It yelled. But the attack wasn't for Cedeile. Sora and Ryu moved out of the way as the giant gust of wind swept the heartless up into the air, surrounded it in a furious storm, and then subsided. Darkside was completely destroyed.

All of them looked over to the angel-demon, who stood motionless for a moment, but then collapsed to its knees. Aru limped over and caught it before it fell over. The rest of them joined her.

"I'm thankful that you helped us." Cedeile told the angel-demon. It just nodded in recognition.

"Who's this?" Sora asked. But before an answer could be given, the winds died down and all became calm again, but the sky remained dark. They looked around, and found a white figure before them. It was a girl their age with pale blonde hair, and she was wearing a white dress. Aru, Sora, and Ryu fell silent.

"Namine…" Aru said softly. The girl turned to face them. Sora ran towards her.

"Namine!" he called, but stopped short.

"Please…don't come any closer!" she said suddenly. Sora was surprised.

"Why not?" he asked worried. "Are you mad because I let you get captured? I'm sorry Namine, but I've fought so hard to get back to you."

"I'm not mad…" she said. "But…"

"Please explain something to me, Namine." Ryu said, stepping towards her. "Why did the star charm you give me disappear? Are the memories I have….Tell me if I'm really supposed to remember you!" Namine was about to speak when another figure appeared. It was also Namine.

"It seems I have some explaining to do." She said. The other Namine hung her head in despair.

"Holy crap! There are two Namines'!" Cedeile exclaimed.

"Is one of them not the real one, or are there really two?" Aru thought out loud.

"You see, I'm a witch." The second Namine explained cheerfully. "I have the power to manipulate people's memories."

"So then all of us…our memories of you…"

"This is my fault, mostly. I've been messing with your memories." She replied. The first Namine sobbed.

"I'm sorry!" She said. "But I had to. Marucia made me mess with Sora's memories, and then Ryu came and…he was already missing some of his memories, so I just filled them in…but I'm sorry! I don't want this to happen anymore! I want to fix what I did!" She let out an audible sob and lifted an arm up to her eyes to try and block the tears. The other Namine didn't so much as flinch.

"But which one of you is the real one?" Cedeile asked. The second Namine continued, ignoring Cedeile's question.

"You see, Marucia wanted the power of the keyblade by controlling Sora. By making him obsessed with Namine, Sora would eventually fall to Marucia's control, and he would be able overthrow the organization. That's why he used my power. And by messing with the rest of your memories, it would ensure that the plan wouldn't be messed up." She explained.

"But I couldn't stand it!" The other one said through the tears. "I had to try to make amends, so I asked Hikari Tagami to help Sora remember. I just can't live with myself so…I had to come and set things straight. I know you all must hate me, but…"

"I don't hate you!" Sora exclaimed. "I could never hate you!" Namine wiped away her tears.

"Really?" she sniffed.

"Yes, really!" he replied. "I like you, Namine. I don't care if these are fake memories in my head. You're my friend, and I promised to protect you."

"But that was fake." Namine replied.

"I don't care. A promise is a promise. I'll save you from the organization." He took her hand in his and gripped it tightly. Ryu stepped into the background and fell silent. So it was true-his strong feelings and his promise was all fake. He felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal whelm up in him. How could everything be something made up?

"Sora…I have to set this right." She said, releasing his hand, and stepping back.

"It's alright!" The other one said. "Everything will be okay!" They all turned to look at her as she turned her back to them. Suddenly, all around them went dark. The island and the first Namine faded away.

"Namine?" Sora asked. She turned slowly, to face the, but her appearance changed, to that of a girl with red hair and blue eyes.

'Kairi?' Cedeile thought in her head.

----

When the scene faded out, they were in the next blaring white hallway on the path to the top of the castle. Sora gripped the star charm firmly in his hand.

"Namine…" he said resolutely.

"So, I guess we're heading up…again…" Cedeile remarked, noticing the stairs in front of them.

"Yeah. We're going to defeat Marucia and free Namine." Aru said. "Hopefully, she can help this one for us." She gestured to the angel-demon, panting next to her.

" I hope so. There doesn't seem to be much we can do for it."

"Then let's go." Sora said, turning back to them. "I want to get to Namine as soon as possible." He went to go forward, but a dark portal opened up. Out of it, stepped what appeared to be Riku, but in his dark outfit.

"Riku!" Cedeile exclaimed.

"No!" Aru said firmly. "I get the feeling that…that's not Riku!" He gave them a sinister grin.

----

6H: I knew this chapter would have to be insanely long!

Anaretsu: Huh?

6H: Well, to give you an idea, most of the chapters in this story so far have been averaging about six or seven pages, but this monster is 13 pages long! WHOOT! Back in Shattered Fragments, a chapter of this length was easy to achieve!

Anaretsu: Unfortunately.

6H: So, now that the truth has been revealed, will our group be able to get past the Riku Replica? What will await them on the final floor of Castle Oblivion? Will Sora and Cedeile ever remember each other? Find out in chapter 35!

Anaretsu: I don't care enough to. What the hell are you doing?

6H: (plays with figurines from the anime con) Come on, Inuyasha! You can take on Naraku! On no, he's down! Ed and Rinoa, to the RESCUE!

Anaretsu: Oh geez….

6H: Lunamaria will help too! YEAH!


	35. Floor 35:Apology

6H: Okay, summer is here! WHOOT! And who isn't excited?

Anaretsu: …

6H: Well I am, especially since it's actually sunny right now. Weather's been crazy in the northeast! In some places it's flooding!

Anaretsu: And this has what to do with your story?

6H: Nothing really….let's do chapter 35!

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 35-Apology

----

He gave them a sinister grin.

"No. I'm just a copy" Riku said.

"I knew it." Aru glared back at Riku.

"Knew what?" Cedeile asked.

"That's the Riku Replica Hikari Tagami fought!" Aru explained. "When I was down in the basements of the castle. The angel-demon was fighting with us too."

"Please let us through." Sora said. "We need to help Namine." Riku Replica sneered at him.

"If you go any further, Namine will be hurt." He replied. "I won't let that happen. I promised to protect her." Ryu looked at the floor.

'A little while ago, I was able to say that.' He thought, still upset from the truth being revealed to him. 'Everything I felt was a lie, and yet I'm going with them to save her-the one who made me feel like that.' He looked back up at Sora trying to talk to the Riku Replica.

"Please! We can fight later!" Sora yelled, starting to get agitated.

"We fight now, to settle this-once and for all." Riku Replica declared. Suddenly, Sora felt himself being pushed aside. There was a clanging of metal.

"Ryu!" Aru exclaimed. The fragment hunter had drawn his sword and attacked Riku Replica, but he had blocked it with the Soul Eater blade.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Cedeile exclaimed.

"Shut up! All of you!" Ryu yelled back. "I'm tired of being jerked around by a chain like this. Namine deceived me, and I won't forgive her so easily! Not like the rest of you!"

"Ryu, Namine told us that she was forced to-" Sora began.

"I don't care!" he snapped back. "No one makes a fool out of me like that! Using my own missing memories against me! It doesn't matter-I'll find them on my own, and get my revenge!" He used his strength to push back Riku Replica's block and force him off balance. He went in for another attack, but was blocked again. The copy smirked.

"Don't get all emotional on me."(1) Riku Replica said. "It ruins a good fight."

"Sure." Ryu spat back. "I'll try to restrain myself." And the two went at it-slashing and dodging and blocking-like two well-trained sword fighters, rounding each other and searching for a weak point.

"Stop it! This isn't getting us anywhere!" Cedeile yelled.

"Boys will be boys…" Aru trailed off.

"So we just _let_ them fight?" Cedeile asked.

"Pretty much. Ryu's upset because of what Namine did, and he's got to take it out on something." Aru said.

"So we just…stand here and wait for Ryu to calm down? This is retarded! We've got to stop Marucia, just like Namine said, right? That means there's no time to waste!"

"Well…" Sora began hesitantly. "How do you think we should stop them?"

"I'll figure that out in a moment." She replied as she stormed up to the two boys. Aru and Sora called out for her, but she didn't stop. She walked right up to both of them, just as Ryu was about to attack. Before his sword could reach his target, Cedeile took out the heartblade and blocked it. Both of them were surprised she had gotten in the way of their fight.

"Hey! What the hell are you-?" Ryu started to shout, but Cedeile pushed him over. Sora and Aru's jaws dropped.

"Is she asking for a death wish?" Sora exclaimed in awe.

"Cedeile, you idiot…." Aru murmured to herself in disbelief. Cedeile turned to Riku Replica with a fierce look in her eyes-so much so that it scared him as to what she would do. Without any sound or warning, she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him towards her. He fell limply into her careless, swift embrace. She held him tightly to her and clenched her eyes shut.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" He demanded, sounding like he might kill her then and there. She only held on tighter.

"Apologizing." She replied under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear. "I'm sorry for everything. Even if you're not the 'real' Riku, I feel like I should apologize to you. Those fights, all of them, were stupid. We were stupid kids, Riku. I still have a scar from the time you cut me on that rock by mistake, and my back teeth still aren't straight from when you punched me hard in left cheek. But after everything that happened, I figured that you were as good as dead, and that we'd never meet again. But now we're here again, and you may not know who I am. And you're not even the you I wanted to talk to, but I have to say this. Because I feel guilty about everything. I know this might not mean a thing to you, but it means something to me. We weren't really 'friends.' Maybe you were jealous because Sora and I were so close, or maybe you just didn't like me. Let's put all that behind us. Riku, I'm sorry for all the fights we ever got into." She said all this with fierceness, as if she were in the middle of battle. Riku Replica was still-he could not bring himself to move. She released him with ease and stepped back, a hard look on her face, but a spot of accomplishment also lingered.

The others were silent as she slowly walked backwards, stepping away from him. Riku Replica watched her every move until she stopped, safely out of his reach. Her stare at him was unbroken and never lost power.

"Who are you?" he asked, awed and frightened. Her aura was suddenly building in power, and he could feel it. So could Aru, and she consulted Hikari Tagami right away.

'Hikari! What's happening to Cedeile? Her aura-'

'It's gaining momentum.' Hikari cut her off. 'Despite being a master, Cedeile's aura was never particularly special or powerful, but now…it's as if someone else is boosting it!'

'Who though?' Aru asked. Hikari laughed to herself softly, as if scolding herself for some unknown reason. Aru was about to ask, but Hikari said, more to herself than Aru-

'Well, I never thought I'd sense _you _again…Arlette…'

'Huh?'

'It's nothing, forget it.'

'But who's-'

'Never mind, I said. Cedeile's aura has ceased growing, but it's not weakening…' Aru turned her focus back to Cedeile She was still standing there, squarely looking at Riku Replica.

"I'm the heartblade master. My name's Cedeile." She answered.

"Namine…no one ever told me about you!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, Axel said at first I wasn't important to the organization. That must've been why."

"So now what am I supposed to do with you? Do I kill you, or do I ignore you?" he grabbed at his hair as he thought, still looking at her.

"How am I supposed to know? According to most people, I'm an idiot!" she said.

"But…I know I'm supposed to kill Sora. Vixen told me so! And Riku-if I kill Riku, then I'll _be _Riku! But what about you? Marucia doesn't want you! And I won't gain anything if I kill you! What do I do with you?" Cedeile smirked and folded her arms in front of her chest.

"Don't do anything." She said with cockiness.

"Nothing?" he asked. "But you're with that….that thing!" He pointed behind her to the angel-demon. "It tried to destroy me! But Vixen fixed me, because I'm more important than it-"

"_She's_ my friend. And don't forget that." Cedeile spat with edge. Riku Replica grimaced and then put back on a look of annoyance.

"I don't want to waste my time with you anyway!" He said. He opened a portal and disappeared into it. The hall fell very quiet. Then, Cedeile turned back to the rest of them.

"Not bad, huh?" She said.

"How'd you do that!" Sora exclaimed. "I couldn't get through to him during all the other fights I'd had with him, but you just-and then…wow!" He finally got out. Cedeile smirked.

"It's a gift!" she said.

"Why'd you get in my way?" Ryu demanded from the floor, his head hung.

"Because you were being hard headed, and wasting time." Cedeile replied without looking back at him.

"That's a stupid reason! You should've just stayed out of it, instead of giving that stupid, long winded dribble about being friends and stuff! It worthless!" He said, getting up and turning his back to her.

"Not if Riku heard me. It's not worthless, because those feelings are mine, even if my memories are lost. Because my heart is still here." Ryu fell silent. She had a point-even if his memories had been tampered with, those feelings were still his and were made by his heart. He was never made to remember loving Namine. That was what had evolved from seeing those memories.

"Cedeile, are you okay?" Aru asked, really wanting to question her about her aura growing, but not wanting to say anything directly.

"Sure. Nothing happened to me, so I'm fine-really." She assured the mage. All Aru could do was nod.

"Let's move on! I want to find Namine quick!" Sora said. However, voices coming from the room behind them made them stop.

"Sora! Wait!" One called.

"Hold on!" Another called. Through the doorway came two very odd-looking characters-a duck and a dog.

"Sora!" The dog exclaimed. "It's good to see you in one piece! We were worried when you went to the 12th floor by yourself, but then we decided to go after you!"

"Really? So, you guys forgive me for being so hard-headed?" Sora asked. He bent down to the duck's level. He crossed his arms and turned away.

"Yeah, alright." He replied begrudgingly.

"Hey Sora, who are all these people?" the dog asked.

"Oh, right! Donald, Goofy, these are Cedeile, Ryu, and Aru. Ryu and Cedeile are missing memories too, but Aru seems to remember us."

"Yeah. Don't tell me that you two both don't remember us either." Aru said.

"Can't recall." Donald grumbled. "What's with your aura. It seems super powerful for a little kid." Aru smirked.

"Oh right. You forgot Hikari too." She said. Donald gasped as Aru changed into the ancient mage.

"I used to bother you so much. You thought I might be a heartless leader. I admit, I was causing some trouble at End of the World, but…"

"Oh my god! Aru, how'd you get taller, and change your hair color?" Sora exclaimed. Hikari and Cedeile sighed.

"No, Sora. This is Hikari Tagami! She's….uh…who are you again?"

"I'm the mage who forged the heartblade and keyblade. I also sealed Silvia behind the glass panel and then broke the panel, creating the fragments. And all of you have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" The blank looks around her told her enough. "Pathetic." She mumbled.

"Maybe Namine can set this all straight." Sora said. "After all, she took our memories apart in the first place."

"Not mine." Cedeile said. "My memories were all gone before I even got here."

"Well, shall we just move on? Chatting is nice and all, but it's not getting us any closer to the end." Ryu said. (2)

----

Sora explained everything about Namine to Donald and Goofy, and then Hikari Tagami tried to convince them that, indeed, they had met before. This attempt failed miserably, as no one else could remember the incidents she described.

The next hallway was the same monotonous room as all the others had been before.

"Wonderful." Cedeile remarked. "This stupid castle is so freakin' repetitive! Can't they at least make the wall a different color!"

"Would you stop whining? You're so annoying as it is!" Ryu yelled at her.

"Leave me alone!" She whined at him.

"Would the both of you knock it off? You're giving me a splitting headache!" Hikari yelled. Both stopped immediately-they were both rather afraid of Hikari. Sora ran ahead of the group, towards the door to the next floor, when a dark portal opened in his path. Stepping through it and blocking his path was Lakchine, and she didn't look happy.

"Lakchine!" Cedeile exclaimed.

"You again." Sora growled. "I was hoping to never see your face again."

"Too bad, kid. I'm here to finish you off for good, as per Marucia's orders."

"We'll take you! Just like last time!" Donald yelled.

"Are you sure you can do anything? Better leave this to a master mage." Hikari spat. Lakchine looked to her, noticing her for the first time.

"Well, if it isn't Miss high and mighty? And how has your time been in the castle?" She asked mockingly. Hikari gave her trademark smirk.

"Boring." She replied.

"You did in Vixen. Sort of. Really, it was Axel that finished him off, but you wore him down."

"I'm glad he's gone. He's face was kind of scary, you know? And of course, one less of you nobodies running around is fine with me." Lakchine snapped, and pushed Sora aside.

"Teleport Rush!" She yelled, and disappeared. Hikari seemed to know what was happening, and turned just as Lakchine reappeared behind her and threw her knives in her left hand. They all successfully lodged themselves in her back, but Hikari ignored this and summoned fire magic to retaliate.

"FIRAGA!" she yelled, throwing it at Lakchine.

"Teleport Rush!" And she was gone again. The fire attack hit the wall instead, leaving a black scorch mark.

"Damn it!" Hikari yelled. Lakchine appeared again on the other side of the room.

"What's the matter, Hikari Tagami? Can't handle me? Am I just too good for you? You must be losing your edge after your 500 year long absence." Hikari was about to charge again, but Ryu stopped her.

"She's trying to get you angry so that you miss. Calm down, and wait for an opportunity." He said.

"You're telling me to keep calm? After your little outburst downstairs, I think you should be slightly ashamed." She taunted cruelly. He glared at her.

"Shut your mouth!" He replied. "You know I'm right."

"If the both of you don't stop it…" Donald began. Lakchine laughed bitterly.

"Is your little playgroup having a hard time getting along, Sora?" She taunted. "If you don't pull yourselves together, I'm going to do you in. No holding back this time!"

"Wait, Lakchine!" Cedeile called, jumping in-between her and Sora. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm in the organization, duh! Where have you been this whole time?"

"I know that!" she retorted. "But…it's just that…"

"Look, I've got orders to get rid of you both, and an order's an order. I'm not about stand down, so draw your weapons and fight me!" Cedeile smirked.

"Very well, but you'll see how good I am this time." She replied, taking out her weapon. Cedeile jumped towards her, but Lakchine sent a barrage of knives at her, several of which hit. Cedeile gasped as she stumbled backwards, feeling where one of the knives pierced her skin. She looked back at her enemy. "It might take a little more than that to do me in, Lakchine."

"Maybe." She replied. "THUNDAGA!" Cedeile jumped out of the way just in time, but felt herself knock into something soft. She turned-Lakchine smirked back at her. "Thundaga!" She snapped her fingers and stepped back. The lightning bolt hit Cedeile at full force. She sunk to her knees in pain and fell over on the floor.

"Cedeile!" Sora called. Lakchine pointed one of her knives at him.

"You're next." She said simply. "Teleport Rush!" She disappeared again and reappeared behind him. He quickly called the keyblade to his hand and spun around to meet her attack, and was rewarded with a perfect deflection. She came at him again, and threw one of her knives at him. He turned his face to dodge it, but it caught the edge of his cheek. He touched it and found blood to be sliding down his skin.

Meanwhile, Hikari ran to Cedeile's side and gently touched her slightly charred shoulders. The girl in red shook off the contact and pushed herself up.

"How's Sora doing?" She asked, grinded her teeth to shake off the pain.

"He's alright for now. I don't know how much longer he can keep it up, though." Hikari replied. "What do you plan to do?"

"I'll wait for her to be distracted by Sora. When her back is turned, I'll get her. What about you and Ryu?"

"We'll try to get involved, if you let us, but right now it seems as though Sora would rather have this dance for himself."

"Is this how it used to be…in our last journey?" Cedeile asked. "I don't know…this just doesn't feel the same."

"I suppose it isn't." Hikari replied simply. "Do you want me to heal you?"

"Yes, please." Cedeile rested back on her feet and pushed some of her black hair back. The ancient mage called upon the healing spell.

"Curaga…" She said quietly, but with that same harshness her voice always had. Cedeile felt her burning skin cool and loosen, and the punctures in her chest close up. The knives that had previously been lodged into her skin fell harmlessly to the ground, and the blood faded off their metal surface. She stood up and picked up the knives, holding them as Lakchine did. Hikari raised an eyebrow, but this was not unnoticed.

"What?"

"What are you going to do with those?"

"You'll see. Well? Are you going to stop sitting on your butt and actually do something for once?" Hikari frowned at her, but Cedeile just laughed in response, and head back into battle. Hikari shook her head and turned back to Ryu.

"You ready?"

"Sure." He replied. The two of them approached the ensuing battle. It seemed as though Donald and Goofy had already joined in and were trying their best to help Sora, but really couldn't get an edge in.

"You seem so angry, keyblade master." Lakchine commented.

"You made me remember Namine in a cruel way, and you knew what was going on the whole time." He replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did I make little Sora cry?" She taunted. She threw a handful of knives at him, all of which painfully struck his body and sent him flying.

"Sora! CURAGA!" Donald yelled, raising his staff. Sora landed on his feet, completely unscathed. Lakchine called her knives back and licked the edge of one nervously.

"You're lucky your little friends are here to help you." She snarled.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for that Donald."

"No problem."

"Hey you guys, let's take care of this witch." Sora said. He lifted the keyblade, while Donald and Goofy lifted their respective weapons. A giant, magic circle appeared below them and Lakchine. "Ready? TRINITY LIMIT!"

A pillar of light rose up from the circle and engulfed her. The others covered their eyes until the light faded. Lakchine was barely standing, and shaking badly as well, but she didn't let it stop her. She rose up to her full height and prepared to attack again.

"You are NOT going to defeat me that easily." She said.

"LAKCHINE!" Cedeile yelled, bursting into the conversation. She jumped in the air, and flung the knives she had at Lakchine, expecting them to hit. Instead, they fell pitifully to the ground. Cedeile and Lakchine looked at them, both stunned. Cedeile smacked herself in the head. "No freakin' way!" She said to herself. In the background, Sora was trying to stifle laughter with clenched teeth. Hikari shook her head in exasperation.

"You really are an idiot." Ryu said.

"Oh shut up! You're not doing anything right now! Still brooding over your little temper tantrum?" She spat back at him.

"Temper tantrum? Are you serious?"

"Yeah! You're no better than a whinny kid!"

"Speak for yourself!"

"Take that back!"

"That's it! I'm not helping you with anything!" He shouted.

"But you promised!"

"I don't owe you a damn thing!"

"But you said-"

"Alright, alright." Lakchine said. "Are we having a fight or what?" She turned to face Cedeile and withdrew her knives. "Let's finish this now." Cedeile raised the heartblade in a defensive stance.

"Yeah. Let's." The two were about to go forward at each other when there was a horrible slicing noise. Lakchine gasped and her knives dropped to the floor. Behind her appeared Axel. Cedeile dropped her stance.

"Lakchine…?" She asked.

"You. Were you spying on us the whole time?" She gasped out.

"Sorry Lakchine, but your time is up." He said simply. She fell forward to the ground and held herself up with her hands.

"No…I…I won't disappear!" she said desperately. "I can't…"

"Axel!" Sora yelled. The red-haired man turned to him.

"Hey Sora. Fancy meeting you here, but I don't have time right now to deal with you. Time for the organization to get rid of the traitors."

"So you were with the superior the whole time?" Lakchine questioned. He looked back at her and raised an eyebrow.

"You're not dead yet? Surprising." He said. "Yes, I was never honestly going to overthrow the organization. The superior thought there was something going on, so I was sent to keep an eye on you guys. Marucia and you were always suspicious, but Vixen? That was a surprise."

"What's going on?" Sora demanded. "What are you talking about?"

"Hey, just keep out of this for a moment." He replied. He turned back to Lakchine. "So, why did you do it? What did Marucia offer you, Lakchine?"

"Why do you care?" She asked. It was easy to tell that she was fading fast.

"Cause I don't get why you'd turn traitor. Back in the early days, you were so freaking loyal I thought you were a lap dog or something." Axel responded.

"I just…want to be whole again. But that's not happening anymore, is it? When someone like me dies, what happens to them Axel?" Axel turned his back to her.

"I don't really know Lakchine. But why don't you tell me when you find out?"

"You mean…like in a next life or something?" She asked. Cedeile dared to approach and bent down to her.

"Lakchine…" she said. "What's…"

"Hey, Cedeile…no matter what they say…I think that Marucia and the superior should beware of you. You've got some crazy powers." She let her eyes close one last time and faded away. Axel turned his back to the place she one was a sighed to himself.

"In the next life? Yeah…something like that." He murmured before disappearing.

"Wait!" Sora called. "Damn. I hate it when he just disappears like that. I thought all the organization members were on the same side."

"It seems like they have some differences of opinion." Donald commented. "Thatcould be a good advantage to us."

"Well, only Marucia is left, right? And Axel, but maybe he'll just slink off back into the darkness." Ryu said, crossing his arms.

"Wishful thinking." Hikari replied.

"Shouldn't you be turning back now?" Ryu said. "I've never seen you out and about for so long."

"Do I make you nervous?" she asked.

"Yes." They all answered. Hikari sighed but didn't say anything.

"I wonder why Axel killed Lakchine though." Cedeile said. "I mean…I think he…was actually in love with her."

"Axel? Are you crazy!" Ryu said, walking over to her.

"Cedeile, Lakchine and Axel hated each other. Besides, Lakchine was sort of…sadistic." Sora added unsurely.

"I know, I know…but maybe deep inside they really did love each other. Just from the way Axel looked at her while she was dying, and from what they said…it just seemed that way to me."

"Or they just hated each other." Ryu added. "Who cares?"

"I care!" Cedeile replied loudly, turning on him. "Why are you such a jerk sometimes?"

"You're just too sensitive. It's because you're a girl." He said.

"What! I'm NOT sensitive!" She yelled.

"Sure. Um…weren't you crying when we met?"

"Those were tears of frustration!"

Sora looked over at Hikari.

"Do they ever stop?" He asked. She sighed.

"I don't believe they do."

----

6H: Footnotes!

Just because it was getting so cheesy, I couldn't resist this:

(1)"Don't get all emotional on me" Riku Replica said. "It draws in those nasty fangirls." Ryu dropped his sword.

"F-fangirls?" he stuttered. "Oh shit!" He took off running. Riku Replica laughed.

"Gotcha!" Riku Replica said, laughing hysterically.

"Now that that's done with, can we get on with this whole thing?" Cedeile asked. "I'm sick of my ranting about how I can't remember anything"

"Honestly, most of us are." Sora replied.

(2)Couldn't agree more, Ryu. (slams head on desk)

6H: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. Honestly, I lost a lot of steam, plus I have a lot of summer work to do for my AP classes and…I've mostly just been too lazy.

Anaretsu: And stupid.

6H: Well, I beat KH2. Originally, I didn't want to until I started KH2: Shattered Past, but that's not happening any time soon, since there are three chapters left to AaCC. And we all know how long it takes to finish just ONE freakin' chapter…Well, like I said, three more chapters to go. Next time-a confrontation with Axel, Anya finally fulfills her duty, and the beginning of the end.


	36. Floor 36:The Gift I Have to Give

6H: Hello everyone, and welcome to the first of the last THREE chapters. Everyone CHEER!

Jack:…..uh….Yay!

Anaretsu: Boooooo!

6H: Not really much to say, so I'll just hand you over to the characters in our show.

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 36-The Gift I Have To Give

----

Sora nervously held it in his hand-a card shaped like a crown with an image of a castle on it. He then glanced back up at the door, eyes anxious and fearful.

"Sora." Donald said behind him. He turned to look back at his friends.

"Yeah?"

"Open the freakin' door already!" Ryu said loudly.

"Alright, alright! Geez…" Sora turned back to the door and lifted the card up in the air. The card glowed with a bright light and the door in front of them opened.

"Wow. So that's how it works." Cedeile said.

"What are you muttering about?" Ryu asked.

"I never knew how the worlds were created inside each floor. Agent 427 only told me that they were illusions made by some kind of magic, but not really anything else. Now I think I get it. It's got something to do with that card Sora used just now."

"Are you guys coming? Hurry, or we'll leave you behind!" Sora called.

"Oh, right!" Cedeile said, and ran to the door. Ryu rolled his eyes and followed behind her while trying to keep the angel-demon on his shoulder. When they were all on the other side, it shut silently. After a few moments of silence, there were footsteps and heavy breathing to be heard from the stairs. Anya stumbled up them and then paused at the top, resting.

"I'm….so…close…" she said to herself between breaths. "The heartblade master…is nearby." She pulled on the chain around her neck to get it out from under her shirt. She looked down at the little cross that hung from it. There was a faint glow around it. "I just missed her again. Shoot…" She tucked it back in her shirt safely and looked towards the door.

_Nii-sama…I may meet you again. _She thought. She walked up to the door and shakily opened it by the handle.

----

They ran franticly down the hall, charging through any heartless that got in their way. Several neo shadows appeared to block their path, just as many had done before them. Ryu cursed as he sliced one in half.

"For god sakes, how many of these damn things are there!" he demanded.

"Enough, apparently!" Sora replied. "TRINITY LIMIT!" The blinding attack got rid of the remaining ones and they continued.

"Do you really think that Maruica is up here?" Cedeile asked Sora as they continued down the hall.

"That's what Namine said, so we'll just have to trust her." He replied.

"Gawrsh, I just hope we'll have enough strength to defeat him!" Goofy said, worried.

"I think we will." Aru said. "After all, there are more of us than of him, so we should be okay."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Cedeile began, but was cut off but a neo shadow grabbing her from behind. She let out a yelp.

"Cedeile!" Sora yelled, and went to attack the heartless, but by the time he was ready to swing at it, it was already gone. Cedeile sat clueless on the ground with Ryu behind her, his sword just finished with its attack.

"Ryu…" Cedeile said, turning to look at him. He pulled her up by her arm.

"Come on. We've got to keep moving." He said, and began running off again. The rest of them looked at him with raised eyebrows before continuing.

After several more battles, they arrived at a door. They all froze in front of it, as if not sure if they should enter or not.

"Do you think…Marucia is behind that door?" Donald asked.

"You're not scared are you?" Cedeile asked.

"What? No! Of course not!" he yelled back at her.

'He's scared, alright.' Hikari said in Aru's mind. Aru laughed to herself, and he turned on her.

"What's so funny!"

"Nothing! It's nothing at all!" She insisted, trying to hold back giggles.

"But…this could be the end of it all, you guys." Sora said. "Marucia is here…and he's got Namine…"

"Then let's open this door. It's time to stop hesitating." Ryu said. Sora nodded and opened the door, going through. The others followed one by one, until just Cedeile was left. She was about to go through, but footsteps in the distance stopped her. She looked back down the hall, until she saw a figure coming towards her. The figure then appeared to be a girl in a red shirt and brown skirt, with blonde hair.

"Heartblade master! Wait!" She called. Cedeile was surprised that this girl knew who she was. The girl finally made it to where Cedeile stood and rested for a moment, panting heavily from her run.

"You know me?" Cedeile asked. The girl looked up and smiled slightly.

"Not personally, but I have heard of the legend of the heartblade and keyblade masters. I'm Anya." She extended her hand in a friendly gesture, and Cedeile accepted. Then Anya broke the handshake and reached for the chain around her neck.

"So…how do I know you again?" Cedeile asked. "Sorry, but…I'm having a memory problem."

"I expected as much." Anya replied. "This castle is often called the castle of lost memories. Don't worry-we've never met. But I have a role to play in your story." She unhooked the chain and held it out in front of her for Cedeile to see. On it was a dark silver cross with red jewels in it.

"It's really beautiful…but what is it?"

"Did Nabuki have a chance to explain to you about the guardians?" Anya asked.

"Nabuki? Guardians?" She stuttered.

"I thought so. There really wasn't enough time for her. But she did give you the white ribbon, didn't she?"

"Um…" Cedeile felt in both pockets. She thought she'd seen a white ribbon in one of them before. At last she pulled out one. "You mean this?"

"Yes. Well, I guess I should explain everything to you, since Nabuki never got the chance. See, the heartblade has seven forms that are activated by seven items. And each item is held by someone to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. These people are chosen by fate. And once they give their item to the heartblade master, they become one of the seven guardians of heart. Just as the princesses of heart protect the keyblade master, the guardians of heart protect you." Anya explained.

"Whoa! You mean I have guardians? That's so cool! I have no idea what that means, but…it's really cool!" Cedeile exclaimed.

"Well…yeah…"

"So, tell me about these forms for the heartblade. What are they all?"

"I only know about the White heartblade and the form I am the guardian of."

"Wait! You're my guardian too?" Cedeile exclaimed. Anya nodded.

"I am Anya, the second guardian, of the Cross heartblade." She said. "And I will do my best to serve you. I have been waiting a long time for you to come to this world, so that I could give you this." She gestured to the cross on the chain. "And Nabuki was the first guardian, of the White heartblade. That ribbon you have is the item that activates the White heartblade. I know a little about it, actually. The white heartblade is a smaller weapon that allows for a little faster movement. It also can light up darkness."

"What about this cross heartblade that you told me about?" Cedeile asked.

"Yes, the Cross heartblade is a little different from the White or normal heartblade. It is much longer, and has blades at the bottom end, so you can attack with both sides. It's very useful when fighting multiple enemies. And if you ever need help, you can call for me with the Cross heartblade, and I will come to your aid." Anya finished.

"That's amazing. So it's almost like having multiple weapons." Cedeile said.

"Yes. Something like that."

"Can I call all the guardians?"

"Only if you have the heartblade form they gave you."

"And Nabuki?" Cedeile asked. "She's dead right? Kageki told me she was."

"I'm not sure…I don't know if the call of the heartblade can cross the boundaries of life and death." Anya answered slowly.

"I see. Anya…how did you know I was here? How did you find me?"

"A long time ago, I felt you nearby, then it was just a feeling that you were finally here. I came to Castle Oblivion because of that feeling. And because this place is where my older brother disappeared to a long time ago."

"Your brother?" The struck a familiar cord for her. Brother…

"Heartblade master, it's time for you to fight. Your friends are waiting." Anya replied. She dropped the cross into Cedeile's hand. "And I will go with you as well."

"Really?" Cedeile asked. Anya nodded in response. Suddenly, Ryu poked his head back through the door.

"What the hell is going on out here?" he asked. "And who're you?"

"Ryu, this is Anya. She's my guardian!" Cedeile explained. "She's coming with us to help fight."

"Well, I'll try to help. I'm not sure how much I can, but…"

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll do your best." Cedeile reassured her.

"Okay, okay, can we just get you two to step inside this door here? No sense in wasting anymore time, plus your friend you've been having me drag along is getting worse." Ryu said.

"What?" Cedeile asked, worried. "You mean Windy?"

"Windy?" Ryu raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! I'm calling her that because she needs a name." Cedeile explained, walking past him to go through the door.

"Wait! When did it become a she?" Ryu asked, following behind Anya. Cedeile went straight to the angel-demon's side.

"Windy? Are you okay?" Cedeile asked.

"What?" It asked.

"It's the name I'm giving you, because you use wind magic, I thought Windy was a good fit." Cedeile said. It smiled and closed its eyes painfully.

"A name…finally…" It suddenly winced in pain.

"Oh no!" Cedeile turned back to the others. "We gotta get moving and see if we can get help for her. Maybe Namine can do something-she said she was a witch, after all."

"Cedeile…" Sora began, but couldn't go on.

"We'll try our best." Aru inputted, putting a hand on Cedeile's shoulder.

"Thanks everyone." She replied. Suddenly, sarcastic clapping was heard from across the room. Everyone turned to see who it was.

"Aww, how touching. The heartblade master has a big…well, a big heart, for one thing." Axel exclaimed. "Unfortunately, this is where it ends, for both of the masters." Sora and Cedeile pushed out in front of the group and summoned their respective weapons.

"Let's end this quick, Sora." Cedeile said.

"Uh-huh. Marucia is waiting." He replied. Axel laughed and took out his chakrams.

"Oh, this'll end quick all right." He taunted. They were all just about to attack, when Anya screamed out.

"No, Stop!" she yelled. Sora and Cedeile turned to look back at her.

"Anya?" Cedeile asked. Anya looked directly at Axel, who seemed confused at first, then went wide-eyed.

"No…it can't be…Anya? What're you doing here?" He said quietly. Everyone else gasped.

"Nii-sama, you joined them? But why? I thought you were looking for Kingdom Hearts." She asked, walking closer to him. He stood still and looked down at the white floor.

"Because this is the way to find it, Anya. I know that you and Grandmother hate the organization, but this is the only path I have. They're like me, and you know it." He said. She stopped in font of him and looked at him sadly.

"No, you're different! You were always kind and gentle to me, Nii-sama." She said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Hold the phone here a minute!" Cedeile shouted. The two looked back at her. "What the hell is going on right now? Anya, how do you know this guy? He's our enemy!"

"No!" She shouted, throwing her arms around Axel's waist suddenly, and it was apparent to see that he was also shocked by her action. "He's not the one we should be fighting! Axel is my older brother, my Nii-sama!"

"Seriously?" Sora asked, stunned. Everyone else was also shocked. Axel sighed, and peeled Anya's arms off him.

"Not exactly. I was wandering around, hopeless and by myself, but this family took me in. Then, a little girl was born to the family and I became her protector. Anya's parents died a long time ago, so it was up to me and the old lady to look after her. But we're not really brother and sister. Those terms of endearment are just artificial tags to give comfort to ourselves."

"Don't say that!" Anya cried, tears dripping down her face. "You're not-"

"Anya, I'm a nobody-I don't really exist. I don't have feelings. I'm a shell. Stop attaching yourself to this body and soul just barely held together." Axel said, trying to push her away.

"I won't just forget you!" Anya said, even more determined. "It doesn't matter what you are! You're still Nii-sama to me!"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm through with all that." He said, and pushed her back. She fell to the floor, but wasn't hurt.

"Axel, how could you do that?" Cedeile yelled. "Anya cares about you, though I can't understand why."

"What would you know? You don't understand what it's like to not exist. Besides, my only desire is to achieve Kingdom Hearts. That way, I might be whole again." He said, getting his chakrams ready.

"You'd just throw aside everything for that?" Sora asked.

"Don't be naïve, Sora. You know, you and I are a lot alike. Maybe that's why I like you so much."

"I'm nothing like you." Sora said angrily. Before they could start, however, a portal opened behind Axel, and out stepped another cloaked member with long, brown hair.

"It was you this whole time, wasn't it?" he said. Axel smirked.

"Marucia? You finally caught on to me, huh?" He replied without turning around.

"You're Marucia?" Sora asked. Marucia turned his attention to the group.

"I am. It is nice to finally meet you, Keyblade master, but it will be short lived. I must have the keyblade for myself." He extended his hand and his weapon appeared-a long, pink scythe.

"No way! Let Namine go!" Sora demanded, getting ready to fight him.

"Hold on, Sora. This is my fight." Axel said. He turned to face Marucia. "Even though the superior placed you in charge, he didn't fully trust you. That's why I came. I know everything, Marucia, and so does he."

"I should've known you'd never go against the Superior. I was a fool to trust you, and now look what's happened. Lakchine and Vixen are both gone."

"Not only them-Lexeaus and Zexion are dead too. You're finished, Marucia. Your plan has fallen apart. If you beg for forgiveness, the superior might take mercy on you."

"I am nowhere near finished! I still have Namine under my control, and she is everything!" He yelled, desperate.

"What are they talking about?" Cedeile asked, confused.

"It seems that the organization is falling apart." Aru replied.

"What about you?" Marucia demanded. "Having contacts with a somebody-a complete one! That's against our laws, Axel. What if he found out? You'd be doomed."

"I'm sure it's forgivable compared to what you've done. Give it up, it's over." Axel responded coolly. Marucia clenched his teeth and lashed out with his scythe at him. Axel blocked with his chakrams without much effort. "Really, you think you can beat me? I'm so much higher up than you, and I'm a lot stronger. I'm really going to enjoy doing your pretty little self in, along with your annoying flowers."

"You can't. You wouldn't dare…"

"I think I would, actually." He replied. He kneed Marucia in the chest and jumped away, firing up his chakrams and throwing them at him. Marucia slashed through the attack and came at the red-haired man. He began to summon his magic.

"Blossom Shower!" He shouted. A storm of pink petals came up out of nowhere and began to assault all of them. Cedeile and Sora tried to protect themselves with their arms, while Anya was protected behind Goofy's shield along with Donald, Aru and 'Windy' as 'she'd' been dubbed. Ryu used his sword to deflect the petals away.

"What the hell is this?" He yelled, frustrated. Aru huddled close to Anya.

"Can we really beat Marucia if he used magic like this?" She asked. There was movement behind them, as Windy used the wall to help herself get up.

"It's mostly show…" She said under her breath. "Don't be mistaken-he is strong, but most of his attacks are just pretty objects for your eyes-they are not as bad as they really are." She felt a pang of pain and slid down the wall again.

"Don't try to get up!" Aru said. "You might not have much time left, so you should try to save your strength for when we get to Namine!" Meanwhile, Axel and Marucia were engaged in a serious fight. Each blow was exchanged expertly, and neither seemed to be gaining ground. The petal finally stopped flying around and instead Marucia just settled for physical attacks. At first it seemed as though Axel had the slight advantage, but now it appeared that he was losing his edge. Each block became sloppier, until Marucia actually got his blade right through a chakram and flung it away. Axel got the other in range while there was an opening. Now it was a deadlock.

"So this is how it is?" Marucia asked, arms raised above his head from his previous maneuver.

"It would appear so." Axel said, taking deep breaths. He was wearing thin and he knew it-too many fights in one day were taking their toll on him.

"I was hoping for a better fight, Axel. You have disappointed me."

"Not the first time, I guess."

"Indeed. You've gotten soft so suddenly."

"We have to do something." Ryu said. "We can't just stand and watch this."

"But what do we do?" Sora asked.

"You want us to just charge in and take them both out?" Donald screeched. "That's insane! We can't take on both of them!"

"Listen-it's clear Axel wants Marucia just as much out of the way as we do, so let's use this opportunity to get rid of Marucia! We can deal with Axel later." He explained.

"I still think it's crazy." Donald muttered.

"You're crazy." Ryu responded, ticked off.

"Gawrsh, maybe we should jump in now. That there angel-demon friend of yours isn't looking so well. We've got to get to Namine." Goofy chipped in.

"He's right." Aru replied. "My cure magic can't help her. If this drags out we'll never get to Namine, and this one here might die."

"No, I'm alright." Windy insisted. "Don't worry so much about me."

"Don't be like that." Cedeile said. "We're going to get you help." She turned back to the group. "Ryu's right. We have to do something. It's pointless to stand here when one of us is dying."

"Since when has 'she' been one of us?" Ryu asked.

"Shut up! It's not for you to say. Windy needs us, so we're going to help her. I say we attack Marucia now. Axel doesn't look like he can hold him off for much longer." Cedeile said. They all glanced over to the fight. Axel was now trying to push the scythe away from him, but Marucia was getting closer to a kill.

"Nii-sama…" Anya whispered, crying.

"Alright. We all charge in. Anya, stay back with-" Sora began, standing up with the keyblade by his side.

"With Windy!" Cedeile added at the end.

"Yeah, with Windy."

"Alright." Anya replied. "Cedeile, try out the Cross heartblade." Cedeile nodded and took out the cross charm. She attached it to the heartblade and it began to change shape. It became twice the normal length, and changed into a dark silver color the same as the cross charm that took the place of the ribbons that normally hung from heart at top. At the bottom end extended out two, notched blades, almost looking like teeth on a key. Small red jewels sparkled up and down the handle.

"Sweet." Cedeile said, swishing it around to test it out.

"Remember, you can use both ends to fight." Anya said.

"Okay."

"Let's go!" Sora called out. They all ran in just as Axel slipped up with his blocking. The scythe nearly sliced his chest open, but instead Sora knocked it out of the way. Axel fell backwards.

"Sora! What are you-?" He stuttered in disbelief.

"I have a score to settle with Marucia. If you want to fight me too, wait till later." Sora said as he held off Marucia's attacks.

"You little-! How dare you?"

"Let Namine go!" Sora demanded again.

"She's nothing to you! All those memories you have of her are fake and you know it!"

"I promised her!" Sora replied and finally forced Marucia back. He stumbled and went for another attack, but Sora blocked it.

"You'll never get your hands on Namine! She's mine!" Marucia yelled. "Besides, there's nothing you can do to help her! She will always be trapped within a cage, even if you kill me, there is no escape for her. She's not like normal people."

"I don't care. I gave my word that I would help her." Sora replied. "And if I have to kill you to do that, then so be it." Everyone gathered near him to give their support.

"It's over Marucia!" Donald shouted.

"Uh-yuk, that's right!" Goofy added.

"Are you two ready?" Sora asked. They both nodded. Sora raised the keyblade above his head. "TRINITY LIMIT!" He shouted. The room grew dark and a magic circle lit up on the floor beneath Marucia. Sora brought the keyblade down to the floor and the light exploded.

"It's time to try this Cross Heartblade out." Cedeile said. When the light cleared she jumped up in the air and came down on Marucia, slicing down at him. A dark silver light came out of the end of the heartblade instead of the usual blue-ish light. He sliced through the light, but Cedeile came back with the opposite end of the heartblade and sliced back upward. Two streaks of silver light came from the two blades and both hit him. He yelled and stepped back, holding the cuts on his chest.

"Damn you masters…" he muttered darkly. "How could this be happening?" Ryu and Aru were getting ready to attack when Marucia began to laugh. He looked over to the other end of the room.

"What's his problem?" Ryu asked. "Come on, Aru. Are you ready?"

"Yes." She responded. The two ran towards him, but he teleported. They skidded to a halt.

"Where'd he go?" Ryu asked. Everyone looked around wildly, trying to find the flower master.

"Anya! Look out!" Goofy yelled. Axel and Cedeile whipped their heads around.

"No!" Axel yelled. He teleported himself to try to catch up to Marucia, who was running towards Anya and the half angel-demon. Anya stood up to see what they were talking about. Marucia brought back his scythe over his head…

"Anya!" Cedeile yelled, running behind the two men, but it was clear she wouldn't make it.

Marucia brought his scythe down, and the blade cut across her body. She hardly gasped out as blood spurted everywhere. Cedeile, in shocked, tripped and fell to the floor. Axel stopped dead and watched in horror as Anya's limp body fell to the floor in a bloody heap on the floor. Marucia turned back to them, a big, cruel smile on his blood-splattered face.

"See, Axel? Now you can forget your new-found softness and just be yourself." He said, then gave a big laugh that echoed in the room. Everyone remained in petrified silence. "What, you fail to see the humor in this?"

"How?" Cedeile growled from the floor. She looked up at him. "Why did you kill her!" She yelled as loud as she could. The heartblade changed back to it's original from and the cross charm tinkered on the floor. Marucia turned around fully to face them all. His whole front side was covered in blood that dripped sickly off his coat and onto the floor.

"Ones like us don't feel. It shouldn't matter to Axel if this girl lives or dies, just as it doesn't matter to me. Do you think I felt anything when I killed her? Not a thing touched the empty fragments that remain within me in place of a heart." Marucia said. "Right Axel? You didn't feel anything with the death of this girl, right?" Axel looked up at him, green eyes burning with rage.

"You bastard!" He said, dangerously quiet.

"Excuse me? Don't tell me you felt something for this girl here. You know that's sinful." Marucia said. Axel glared at him.

"You're the sinful one. Betraying the organization, and now you've just crossed me. This is unforgivable!" He ran at him, but Marucia teleported away to the other side of the room. Marucia shook his head, disappointed.

"I feel sorry for you Axel. You could've done great things if you'd have joined me. Fine, go run back to the Superior. I don't care-you're not of any use to me, if you can still so vividly remember how to feel." He opened a portal and walked through it.

"Hold on, Marucia!" Sora yelled, trying to run after him, but the portal disappeared before he could get through. Cedeile slowly got up off the floor and began to walk towards Anya's body, but Axel got there first. He dismissed his chakrams and got down on his knees. Gently, he lifted up Anya's body, looked at it for a moment, and then pressed it to him, eyes shut closed. Cedeile stood behind him, wanting to say something, but unable to find the words.

"Instant death." Axel suddenly said.

"Huh?" Cedeile sputtered, surprised by the sudden comment.

"She died instantly-didn't feel a thing. That's good, in a way. I wonder what it's like. Do you even know that you're dead? Is it just a sudden blackness that fall over you? Or do you just never know and fall into this eternal sleep that you'll never wake up from? I guess I'll never find out…oh God, Anya…" He gritted his teeth and held the body tighter.

"Axel…" Cedeile went to step around him to get a better look at her fallen friend.

"Better not." Axel said. "It's pretty messy. You shouldn't see." He stood up without a sound.

"What will you do now, Axel?" Sora asked.

"Don't think our struggle is over, Sora. We'll pick this up again someday just wait. But right now, you better help Namine and get rid of Marucia."

"You want me to kill him?" Sora asked, stunned.

"Sure, why not? Less work for me. I was assigned with getting rid of the traitors." He sighed and shook his head. "Now I can understand why he left."

"Who left?" Cedeile asked. But Axel didn't answer. He opened a portal and stepped through, disappearing with Anya into the darkness. Cedeile looked down on the ground at the blood left behind.

"Cedeile, are you okay?" Sora asked, coming up next to her. Ryu began walking towards them, stooped down briefly to pick up the cross necklace that was lying on the ground, and then came up beside her. He took her hand and put the cross in it, looking straight into her eyes.

"It wasn't like it was your fault, but she died giving this to you. Don't let her last gift go to waste." He said. Cedeile looked down at the little charm, and then broke down crying. She fell to her knees, threw the heartblade away and sobbed into her hands. Ryu kneeled down in front of her and reluctantly put his arms around her, holding her close to his body. He tried to calm her down. "It's okay…It'll be okay, Cedeile." He said over and over.

----

"You think that she's remembering me?" He asked. Agent 427 and Namine looked into the mirror where the figure stood, hidden in darkness.

"I doubt it." 427 replied, crossing her arms in front of her body. "She's just having a break down because that girl died."

"Marucia did a terrible thing." Namine said shaking with anger. "I hope he pays for it." She was sitting in the superior's throne, looking on at the scene in the white orb.

"He will. Sora and Cedeile will defeat him." The figure replied confidently. "That poor girl…and Axel…I actually feel sorry for him."

"Don't. He's one of the ones after you." 427 said harshly.

"Just because you sold your name doesn't mean you got rid of your heart." The figure said.

"Marucia will be coming back here to get me. Will you two be alright?" Namine asked.

"Yes, I believe so." Agent 427 said. She turned and began to walk through the mirror.

"Be careful." Namine said. 427 looked over her shoulder at the witch.

"You too." And she went completely through.

----

6H: End of this chapter! At last!


	37. Floor 37:Fight! Let the Miracle Come

6H: The second to last chapter of this fic does commence!

Anaretsu: Well, at least this steaming pile of crap will never have to be lived through again, even if there is a whole other story to trudge through.

6H: Thanks for taking such a positive outlook…

Anaretsu: Your welcome.

6H: I was joking.

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 37-Fight! Let the Miracle Come

----

The long hallway stretched onward, and all of them walked down it in silence. Perhaps they were still stunned from the death that had just occurred, but there was no time right now to lament. Marucia was waiting for them, and they had to finish this fight once and for all. At last, a door-they opened it and entered. The room was not empty. Namine and Marucia were there, locked in discussion, so the entrance caught their attention.

"Ah…the masters arrive at last." He grabbed Namine by the hair and her shoulder and forced her in front of him. "Look, Namine-your hero has come to save you, as promised. Isn't it so sweet…?" He laughed a bit.

"Shut your ugly face, Marucia." Cedeile said.

"Yeah! Get real and let Namine go." Sora demanded. Marucia tugged at Namine's hair a little harder and she cried out.

"Sora…!" She cried.

"This is so amusing-you have no idea." Marucia sneered.

"It ends now, Marucia. We're going to get rid of you once and for all." Sora said. "I won't let you use me or the keyblade for your plans."

"Oh, now that's good! Not letting me use you or the keyblade…well, you don't have a choice! I'll take the keyblade by force, but it would've been nice if you joined us of your own free will." He threw Namine aside and she landed on the floor.

"Namine!" Sora shouted.

"You're wide open!" Marucia came in for an attack, and Sora wasn't prepared. Luckily, Ryu jumped in at the last moment and deflected the scythe.

"Know who you're dealing with." Ryu said.

"You're rather cocky. But there is someone I'd like to meet…" He looked at Aru, who returned a steady glare. "Oh, come now Hikari Tagami. Won't you show yourself for me? I'd like to see who was strong enough to send Vixen to such a miserable defeat."

'He's asking for it, Aru. Let me-' Hikari's voice pleaded with anger.

'You can't, not yet. Save it for when the fight really begins.' Aru replied, trying to hold the ancient mage back.

"What's the matter? Don't think you can handle me? Number XI in the organization- Marucia. If it's a fight you kids want, then you'll get it." Namine ran to the side of the room, out of the way of the fight. Donald and Goofy rested Windy down against the wall closest to them, and then took up their fighting stances.

"We'll take you on." Cedeile said. "I'm not afraid."

"Really? Don't be so sure that I can't hurt you! Blossom Shower!!!!!!" Pink flower petals came out of nowhere and began assailing their group. Many cuts were dealt out to each of them, but Cedeile didn't let that stop her. She ran straight at Marucia and swiped at him with the heartblade several times. He dodged each attack effortlessly and then hit back with an attack of his own that sent her to the ground. She sprung back up easily and went at him again.

"Holy Purification!!!!" She shouted. He couldn't block that move, so it burned into him, but not much.

"That's a very nice little move, but it's not good enough." He said when it ended. But before he could come at her. Ryu came in and tried to run him through with his sword. Marucia was fast and hooked his scythe blade around Ryu's sword. Then he pulled Ryu forward by yanking on his scythe, which in turn knocked the hilt out of Ryu's hands, and then shot a gust of bladed flowers at him. Ryu staggered back, with blood dripping from several parts of his body, but not in great amounts.

"Ryu!" Cedeile yelled.

"Worry about yourself, stupid!" He shouted at her. Marucia had gotten behind her and whacked her in the head with the blunt end of his scythe. Spit flew out of her mouth from the shock and she fell forward to the ground. It was Sora's turn now, and he came up at Marucia with the keyblade. The first few strikes worked and sent the organization member staggering, but then Marucia brought his scythe around to cut him. Sora luckily was able to jump over it in time and landed a little ways out of reach, but then ran forward again to attack.

"Blizzara!!!!" Donald exclaimed, sending the ice over Sora's head and at their foe.

"A blizzard spell?" Aru asked. "You should've used fire!"

"Don't argue with me! Pay attention to the fight!!!" Donald yelled back at her.

"Just because you can't fight correctly…Firaga!!!!" She sent the flames along the floor and the danced towards the flower master. This attack had great affect and made Marucia scream as it hit him in a major barrage of flame. While he recovered, Sora came in and landed several hits with Goofy.

"I won't go down this easily!!!!" Marucia exclaimed. A burst of flower petals came from him and blew them all away.

"Whoa!!!" Goofy shouted trying to keep his footing. "Sora, watch out! He's coming again!!!!"

"I see him!" Sora replied and ran against the gale and towards the dangerous blade extended at him. He hit it with the keyblade to get it away from him and went straight for the man behind him.

"No Sora!!!" Namine shouted. Too late-the tip of the blade had been brought around and had now lodged itself in Sora's back. Marucia laughed at him.

"So young and foolish." He said as he yanked the scythe out. Sora stumbled backwards and grabbed the back of his shoulder. He could tell his white jacket was being stained red at this point.

While all this had been occurring, Ryu had retrieved his sword and gone over to check on Cedeile.

"Hey-are you alright?" he asked. Cedeile slowly got up and shook her head from side to side.

"I think I'll be okay." She slowly tried to stand up and wobbled a bit, nearly falling over. Ryu reached out and grabbed her arm to prevent her falling again.

"Doesn't seem like it." He joked, but then looked down at her arm. Light scars, looking like they were from old wounds, were all over them. He'd never noticed them before. "What are these?"

"What?"

"These scars on your arm. They're on your other arm too!"

"Oh yeah! Well, I can't really remember what they're exactly from, but I do know that they're from many battles I fought once. I guess I've had to fight so much because I'm the heartblade master." She explained. "But I can't remember those battles."

"Really? So you really are the heartblade master after all." He mumbled.

"There was still doubt!?" She asked. Namine's call got them back to the battle at hand. They both turned and saw the scythe plunged into Sora's back.

"Sora!" Cedeile yelled. She ran over to him.

"I'll be fine. This is nothing." He insisted.

"Then I'll take your word for it, but don't be lying to me!" She replied. She focused her attention back to Marucia and took out the white ribbon that had been in her pocket. "Let's see if this works…" She hooked it onto the heartblade and it changed shape. It became shorter, with a single ribbon tied in a loop around the handle where there had been many ribbons before. It was also completely white.

"What's that? Some new toy?" He taunted. She pointed it right at him.

"You'll wish it was. White Purification!!!!!" She yelled and drew out the cross in the air in front of her. The white light flew at Marucia, who cut through the attack, and smirked at his success, but it didn't last long.

"That was pathetic." He said, but then saw her coming right at him. "You hid behind the attack?!" He exclaimed.

"You shouldn't have look away! White Purification!!!!!!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. The attack hit this time and knocked the wind out of him. To finish it off, Cedeile landed on the ground in front of him and kneed him hard in the stomach. He doubled over, completely unable to speak. Ryu came from behind and slashed him across the back, while Donald and Aru shot magic at him relentlessly. He blew them all away with the blast of petals again, and they went flying. Marucia stood up, blood trickling down from above his right eye and covering that side of his face.

"Not bad, not bad. I should have expected no less from the masters. To have done so would've been foolish." He said, and mock applauded them. Cedeile spit on the ground in disgust.

"Don't mess around with us, Marucia."

"And don't even think for a second we'll have any mercy on you!" Sora exclaimed.

"Yeah! You don't deserve it after what you did to Anya and Axel!" Aru added.

"Ha, like I care. Don't you understand what I mean when I say that I don't exist? I can't feel pain or remorse like you can. I have no heart! But what would I do with such a thing if I had one anyway? I am Nobody." He said. He slashed his scythe out in front of him like he was attacking, but instead it sent a wave of petals towards them. Ryu and Cedeile jumped over them and ran at him. Ryu swung his sword back and slammed it into Marucia's scythe that was attempting to block him. Marucia's block wavered, however, just enough for Ryu to break through and get the scythe out of the way long enough for Cedeile to attack again. Ryu tried his best to keep the scythe out of the way for as long as possible but so it was too much and he folded, getting slashed across the arm in the process. He slid back on the floor, while Marucia shoved Cedeile out of the way. She was able to keep her footing well enough to swing around behind him and cast another purification spell on him. Then Sora came up while he was down and slammed the keyblade into him. This sent Marucia flying into the wall, near where Namine had been watching. She ducked, covered her head with her hands, and screamed. Marucia pulled himself up the wall and growled in frustration. Namine ran to get away from him and huddled in the corner, afraid.

"I will not lose…"He uttered under his breath. "I cannot…Deathscythe!!!!!!" The blade on his scythe grew tremendously and glowed with furious power. He slashed it down and hit Ryu, Cedeile, and Sora all in one swipe, and then he turned and got Aru, Donald, and Goofy as well. Namine clasped her hands over her eyes so she wouldn't have to watch. There were groans of pain coming from them now. Aru shakily brought herself in a sitting position and looked at all of them. Everyone was covered in blood.

"Hey…midget…"Donald muttered to her. She turned to him.

"Yes?"

"How much magic do you have left?" He asked. He was in just as band shape as her. She took off her glasses and wiped at a huge cut on her forehead.

"I don't think I have much. You?"

"Same thing. We don't have enough between us to heal one person."

"What do we do?" She asked. He grimaced.

"Though I hate to say it…we need that other one who's with you." He said reluctantly.

"Hikari, you mean?"

"Whatever her name is! Call her out!" he said. Aru sighed.

"We do need her now." She said. She closed her eyes and her body started to glow. Donald watched in awe, as Aru's body grew taller and sleeker, and then cleared to reveal Hikari Tagami, the ancient mage.

"I knew you'd all come crawling to me sooner or later." She said slyly. Donald glared at her.

"Don't think I want your help! There's still something I don't like about you." He shouted. Hikari shook her head and stood up.

"So at last you show yourself, Hikari Tagami." Marucia said.

"I guess so. I've been waiting to take you out for awhile now." She said. She began to approach him.

"No, dimwit!" Donald yelled. "Heal us all first!!!!" She ignored him and continued looking at Marucia.

"Vixen didn't like you very much."

"I'm aware." She replied.

"What were you hoping to accomplish with his death?" Marucia asked.

"Why do you care? You just admitted before that you couldn't feel. It shouldn't matter if I kill all your comrades."

"Because I don't understand who you are, Hikari Tagami. In the annals of history, your name is only mentioned but once, and that was locked away and labeled forbidden. So explain why the king of 500 years ago didn't want your name known. Why hide your identity from the world?" He asked. She gritted her teeth and ran towards him, fire erupting in her hands.

"FIRAGA!!!!" She shouted as loud as she could. She guided the fire up, but he stepped just out of reach. She brought the left hand around to try and strike him again, but he snapped his head to the left to avoid the flames.

"So angry." He said. He reached out and grabbed something that was flying out from around her neck. He smiled. "What is this?" He questioned. It was a small, golden chain, and on the end was a gold charm in the shape of the same symbol on Aru's robes.

"Let go of it." She hissed angrily. Sora was finally able to lift himself up on his hands and knees and looked at the ongoing struggle. The keyblade in his hand suddenly pulsated. He looked down at it in confusion.

"What…?"

"Why should I?" Marucia continued. "Is it something important?"

"None of your business." She growled, and brought a hand up into his jaw. This made him release his grasp and he bumped into the wall. She jumped back and crouched down on the ground. She dispelled the fire and tucked the necklace back underneath her shirt. Standing and reaching around behind her, she pulled out her gloves and pulled them over her burnt hands. "A little foolish of me to charge in…" she muttered.

"Hey!!! Heal us already!!!" Donald shouted at her, but she did not acknowledge him. She ran back at Marucia.

"Firaga!!!" She said and began swiping at him furiously. They exchanged blows one for one, and the intensity between them never dropped.

"What's going on?" Cedeile asked, able to get up herself at last. Blood was trickling out of several wounds.

"Hikari Tagami and Marucia are fighting." Sora explained. Ryu, too, got up.

"Why?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, but something weird happened-the keyblade…felt like it had a heartbeat." Sora said.

"That's crazy." Cedeile said. "I think the blood loss is making you hallucinate."

"I swear it! It pulsed in my hand and I felt it!" Sora argued.

"Whatever!" Ryu exclaimed. "Right now we have a little problem here. Most if not all of us are kind of bleeding to death!"

"None of us can do anything about that!" Cedeile responded. "Hikari Tagami is too distracted!"

"What about you, Donald? Can you heal us?" Sora called to his friend.

"I don't have enough magic for one person to be fully healed." He replied sadly. "That woman was supposed to heal us but now she's just wasting magic on Marucia!!!"

"Great! There's not a thing we can do now!" Ryu said. Cedeile thought for a moment.

"What about for just half healing someone?" Cedeile said. "Could you heal just one person halfway?" Donald looked stunned, but then pondered it.

"Well, I guess that's possible, but only for one person." He replied. Cedeile slowly pushed herself up off the floor and shakily stood.

"Cedeile?" Ryu asked.

"Then let it be me." She said. "If I can get Hikari away from Marucia, then she'll be able to heal you all fully."

"You mean you'll fight him alone?!" Ryu exclaimed. "That's crazy! Two of us together could hardly take him! Hikari is having trouble by herself! You really think you can hold him off long enough for us to be healed?!"

"I have to try! If I don't then we'll die from our injuries. Can't you already feel yourself getting light headed?" She turned on him.

"She's got a point there…"Goofy said.

"Are you sure you can do it?" Donald asked. She nodded. "Very well. Good luck. Curaga!!!!" He shouted. The last of his magic shot out of his wand and flowed over Cedeile, wiping away some of the worse cuts. When the spell was finished, she felt a bit better, but there was still that fresh pain that hadn't been erased. She flexed her fingers a bit, and then tightly gripped the heartblade in her hands.

"I'll be as quick as I can." She promised, and then ran towards the battle again.

"It's charming how old fashioned you are with your magic techniques." Marucia said, smirking as he avoided most of Hikari's attacks. "I guess that's what happens when you're dead for 500 years."

"Shut up! You talk too much!!!" She yelled and punched him in the mouth. He stumbled back and felt his lips. Blood trickled gently over them and down his chin. He looked back up at her.

"You have a very bad temper." He smirked. "Such a temper could get you in trouble." She was about to attack again, but Cedeile grabbed her arm.

"Hikari, stop! Everyone needs you!" She said.

"Let go of me." Hikari replied.

"But-"

"Let go!!!!" She pulled her arm away and shoved Cedeile to the ground. "This is something I have to settle."

"Hikari, stop it!" Cedeile yelled. "If you don't use your magic to heal everyone, then they'll die from their injuries!!!!"

'Hikari!' Aru shouted in her head. Hikari sighed and a very heavy pause followed.

"I am bound to do the will of my host. I keep forgetting…this body is not my own anymore…" She turned reluctantly and cast her hands out to her sides. "Curaga." She said, almost annoyed. Sparkling bells of life appeared over all of them and cleared up to blood and the wounds. They each felt relieved as the pain was taken away. Cedeile faced Marucia and pointed the heartblade at him.

"You're finished." She said.

"A bold statement from a stupid girl." He spat.

"I don't care what you say. I'm worth something, at least."

"You'd like to believe that. We _all _want to believe that, because for some reason that gives us comfort, but in reality there are only the few that are really worth something. The rest of us are all doomed to fall into the darkness and perish there. This you must know, or why else would there be the Nobody?"

"What are you talking about?" Cedeile asked, getting confused and angry all at the same time. "I don't have time to listen to your drabble! White purification!!!!" She shot the cross at him and he didn't even attempt to block it. Instead, he yelled as the attack hit him and then slumped down and faded away. Cedeile blinked in confusion.

"Cedeile?" Sora asked as he came and ran over to her. "Is he-?"

"It's that easy?" Cedeile said. "No. This isn't right."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Marucia wouldn't just take his death so easily. There's got to be something more to this." Ryu explained, joining them with the others. Hikari crossed her arms in front of her.

"He has a point." She said. "This isn't quite the end yet." While they were discussing things, Namine walked over to them, her head bowed as if ashamed. When she got closer the others noticed and got quiet. Cedeile and Sora looked at her.

"Thank you…" Namine said quietly. "I mean…for coming to save me. You shouldn't worry about me." Sora smiled and walked over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she jerked her head up, shocked.

"But Namine, you're important too. You've been watching over us and trying your best to protect us this whole time, haven't you?" She bit her lips and her eyes welled up with tears.

"I tried… but there's not much I can do. I don't really have any powers, but-"

"No, please hold on!" Cedeile suddenly said. The two were snapped out of their moment and looked over in the direction where her voice had come from. Cedeile was gently helping Windy over to Namine, but it looked like it was entering its last moments. "Look! It's Namine! She can help you, Windy!" Cedeile cried. Namine turned and walked towards them.

"Who's this?" She asked, concerned. Cedeile was surprised to see Namine at first, but then got to explain the situation.

"This is Windy. She's a half angel-demon made by Vixen. But she got really hurt but Axel and needs your help. Apparently, normal magic won't work on her."

"Windy?"

"That's what we've been calling it…er, her…" Ryu said uncomfortably.

"I see. Poor thing. She's dying, isn't she?" Namine said, trying to get a better look at its face.

"Can you do something, Namine?" Cedeile asked. "Please say you can save her." Namine touched one of the gashes in its shoulder and it thrashed in pain, but she didn't flinch a bit. She took out her sketchbook and looked at it intensely for a bit, then back at Windy.

"I think I might be able to. I'll try my hardest, at least." She replied. Cedeile smiled in relief.

"You hear that? Namine will heal you." She told Windy.

"Really?" It asked.

"I'll try my hardest." She told it. She extended her arm so that Cedeile could lift Windy onto her shoulder. Gently, Cedeile shifted its body to Namine's shoulder. Namine knelt down under the weight, but made sure Windy was comfortably resting on her shoulder. She stroked her back to comfort it in its pain.

"So now what?" Ryu asked.

"Marucia went beyond that last door." Namine said, and pointed towards the only other exit out of the room. "The place beyond there is a warped reality that they call 'outside.' I've never seen what's behind that door, but it can't be good. Marucia is trying to fool you, but don't let him. He will be stronger than before."

"It's okay! We can handle anything!" Cedeile assured her.

"Don't be stupid! This is serious!!" Ryu yelled at her. "Do you understand that we could die?"

"But I'm not afraid of dying! Not with all of you around me!" Cedeile exclaimed, smiling. Everyone looked at her, stunned.

"What do you mean by that?" Donald asked.

"Well, I just get this feeling in my heart when I'm with everyone here. We may not know or remember each other well, but when we fight together, it feels so familiar, and I feel really safe. I just know that we'll be okay!"

"That's the memories you haven't found yet." Namine said. "They are making you feel that way, and that's good. I'm sure you'll remember everything soon."

"Thank you, Namine." She said.

"Are you ready?" Ryu asked.

"Let's go get Marucia!!!!" Sora cheered.

"Yeah! Come on, you guys! One for all and all for one?" Goofy said.

"Sure, whatever." Ryu said.

"I'm in." Hikari muttered, detached from the group.

"Marucia's not so tough! If we beat him once, we can beat him again!!" Donald exclaimed. The group began to move off towards the last door, but Cedeile turned back to look at Namine.

"Will everything be okay?" She asked. Namine nodded and smiled.

"Yes. I'll take care of this one while you guys fight."

"Thank you, Namine." Cedeile replied. She turned and ran to join her friends. Namine returned her attention to the angel-demon.

"Now, you have a choice to make. What do you want to be?" she asked it. It sighed and closed its eyes in exhaustion.

"I…want to be a woman…" It said softly. Namine smiled and with her free hand flipped open her sketchbook. Out of the spiral wire that held the pages together, she pulled out a crayon.

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard." She said, more to herself. She put the tip down to the paper and began to create.

----

6H: The end of that chapter!!! Wow, only one more chapter to go.

Anaretsu: This fic is craptastic.

6H: Ignore her. Um…reviews are appreciated? Sure…we'll go with that…


	38. Floor 38:The Castle of Dreams, and Him

6H: It's time at last! YES!!!!!!!!!!

Anaretsu: For what? Pathetic drabble?

6H: Nope. For the last chapter of Adventures at Castle Chocobo!!!!!

Anaretsu: Seriously?

6H: Uh-huh.

Anaretsu: No way.

6H: Yes way. I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with me. But for now, I'd better just start the chapter.

----

Kingdom Hearts-Adventures at Castle Chocobo

Floor 38- The Castle of Dreams, and Him-At Last, Meeting After Death

----

"Ahhhh!!!!" Cedeile shouted as she stepped forward into the 'outside' realm that they had entered. Ryu grabbed her hand and pulled her back beside him.

"What the hell is your problem?! You might as well shout 'Hey Marucia! We're here so that you can kill us now!'" He scolded her. The others in the group laughed a bit.

"I thought I was gonna fall, but it seems like we're floating above the ground." She said, pointing down. There was a vast amount of endless space that didn't seem to end.

"Are we flying, or is there some sort of surface holding us up?" Hikari wondered, bending down to touch the ground, but her hand felt nothing and she nearly fell forward into the blackness. Luckily, Sora grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Whoa there! Are you alright, Miss Hikari?" He asked politely. She looked back at him, her glasses slightly askew.

"Yes…thank you Sora." She said, and fixed them.

"Where's Marucia?" Donald demanded. "I'm ready to take him on!"

"Sure you are." Cedeile replied sarcastically. "We'll see how things go when we start bleeding." Donald glared at her and then started muttering incoherently to himself. Suddenly, they heard clanking, and then a zoom, as if something was coming right for them. Cedeile started looking all over wildly, trying to locate the source.

"What is that?!" She yelled.

"In front of us!" Sora pointed in the distance. A giant mechanical figure was flying towards them, and on top they could see Marucia, standing calmly as the wind blew his hair back. Pink flower petals began to fall around them.

"Welcome, masters!!! I'm glad you could come!!" He yelled. The mech's arms had long swords on the ends of them. One of them swung towards them all, and they all dropped down to avoid them.

"Did everyone make it through that?" Sora yelled to his friends.

"It seems like we're all okay." Goofy replied. They all jumped up and tried to head for Marucia. Cedeile jumped up first and was almost to him, but one of the swords appeared in her path and cut across her arms that she had brought up in a block. She hit the ground with a hard thump.

"No! Cedeile!!" Sora yelled.

"Concentrate!" Ryu said. "Take out the arms first!" He went in and slashed at the right one a few times with his sword. The metal started to break under the stress of the force, and soon yielded to his attacks. The wires underneath became exposed, and he cut through them. He smiled to himself as he though that he had taken it out, but it still had retained some ability to move, and it came out at him, sending him to the ground. He groaned and felt the back of his head, which was sore from his fall.

Cedeile had gotten up and rejoined the battle herself. She saw that Ryu had been knocked down and went to help with that arm. Meanwhile, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Hikari had taken to the left one.

"Blizzaga!!!" Donald yelled, shooting it at the metal.

"Graviraga!!!" Hikari added the gravity spell. Sora and Goofy kept hitting it over and over again. Marucia smirked as he watched them, and waved his hand in the air. Sora was just about to bring the keyblade down for another attack when he felt something sharp in his back. He screamed and fell to his knees. He tried to turn his head over to see what had happened, but he couldn't tell. Then his question was answered-several petal-like missiles began to shoot down at them.

"Watch out you guys!!!" Sora shouted. Hikari turned and saw them coming at them.

"Firaga!!!" She shouted, and sent a giant blast of fire in the air above them, having it act as a shield. The petals hit them and burned up instantly. Ashes and embers began to fly around on the wind.

"Lucky shot…"Marucia muttered. Soon, both arms collapsed and fell limp. Now all that was left was to take on Marucia.

"Come on guys!" Cedeile said as she began to run up the broken arm and up the mech towards Marucia.

"Cedeile! Wait for the rest of us. Its stupid to charge in on your own!" Ryu called, but she was already on the head of the mech. Marucia greeted her.

"We meet again, heartblade master. But it will be for the last time." He said, taking out his scythe.

"You're right for once. It will be the last time we meet. That's because I'm going to kill you right here and now." She said, pointing the heartblade at him.

"You're so sure of yourself. It's endearing in a way." He said. She ran at him and tried to attack, but he blocked her weapon with his. She struggled to break it loose, while he summoned up the petal missiles and flew them right into her. They exploded as they hit her body, making blood fly out from three different places. He threw her back and she landed on the mech. She clutched her side-the worse of her injuries. She dared to pull the tattered shreds of shirt away to get a better look at the damage- the skin had been burned away in a large area and was now bleeding profusely. She winced as she covered it back up with her hand and looked back at him. "Does it hurt?" He asked.

"I can take more than this." She replied.

"Of course you can." He brought down more missiles towards her, and she turned away, clenching her eyes shut. The explosions sounded, but she felt no pain. Only when she heard the sound of blood dripping did she dare look, and what she saw she did not expect to see.

"Ryu…!" She gasped. He had taken the blow for her. Blow was trickling down his right arm from his shoulder, and from the right side of his head.

"Cedeile, are you ready to destroy him?" He asked. Cedeile slowly got up and stood along side him.

"Will you fight with me, Ryu?" She asked him. He looked at her with his serious navy eyes. They stayed like that for a moment, paused in thought.

"Yes." He finally answered. The two ran towards Marucia together, and slashed downwards at the same time. Both attacks hit him and did some good damage. Marucia threw them back with a gust of petals, but they landed safely across the mech. Ryu put a hand on Cedeile's shoulder.

"Are you okay, Ryu?" she asked.

"I'm fine. Any you?"

"The same. I can keep fighting." She replied.

"Great. We can take him together. I know it." He said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because before, when you were just looking at me and asked me if I'd fight with you, I think I remembered something. A feeling I used to have. Maybe we do know each other from before, but our memories got messed up. And someday soon, I want to remember you." He finished and looked straight at her. She stared wide eyed, but then turned away to hide her blush.

"Yeah…I-I want to remember you…too." Just then it hit her. She turned back, put a hand on his face and turned him towards her. She looked at his eyes. 'It can't be…' she thought. 'The eyes I've been remembering?'

"Uh…Cedeile?" Ryu asked, wondering what was going on with her. She shook her head, dropped her hand, and then laughed.

"This really isn't the time to get sidetracked, is it?" She asked. "Let's keep fighting together, okay?"

"You think you guys have to fight alone?" Sora asked suddenly. The two of them looked up and saw that the rest of their friends had arrived. They all had their own injuries they had sustained, and even had some blood splattered on them, but they were there and willing to fight. Hikari approached the two of them.

"Are you going to join us or just sit around making love confessions all day?" She asked sarcastically.

"LOVE CONFESSIONS?!" They both exclaimed, their faces turning red.

"Just joking. Take it easy." She replied. Ryu got up, and then helped Cedeile up beside him. It was time to deliver the final blow.

"TRINITY LIMIT!!!!" Sora yelled. Donald and Goofy joined in with him and sent their combined power at Marucia.

"Holy Purification!!!" Cedeile yelled.

"Lightra!!!" Hikari added. The whole area was briefly lit up, and when it cleared, Aru was back and on her knees.

"Aru?" Ryu asked, coming back from attacking Marucia with his sword.

"We weren't sure what would happen if she used Lightra, but I'm okay now." She said. She stood up and pushed up her sleeves. Fire began to fly around her, and she directed it to the tip of her pointed finger. "FIRAGA!!!" She shouted. The fire spell flew towards Marucia. Cedeile flung the heartblade at him like a boomerang.

"Purify Typhoon!!!" She called out. It hit dead on.

"Strike Raid!!!!" Sora yelled. He threw the keyblade at Marucia. He yelled out once more as it went through him and he disintegrated into nothingness. It was done-they had finally won. The mech began to shake and fell apart. Aru and Donald used Aero to let everyone down safely. They landed on the invisible ground and looked at each other.

"Yes! We did it you guys!" Sora cheered. They group began to celebrate ecstatically over their victory.

"Marucia's gone for good!"

"Garwsh that means we can get our memories fixed up!"

"Maybe you'll finally begin to remember too, Cedeile." Ryu said. Cedeile turned back to look at him and Aru.

"I hope so." She replied.

"But how are we gonna get back to Castle Oblivion?" Sora asked. Just as he finished, a white light flashed around them.

----

Like magic, they were back inside Castle Oblivion, but this room was different. It was completely empty, save for them and Namine, who stood before them.

"You guys did it." Namine said proudly, and smiling wide. "Marucia has been defeated for good."

"Ah…I'll never get tired of hearing that." Cedeile said, putting her hands behind her head and relaxing.

"Aru, I think we need to heal everyone one last time." Donald said, limping over to her.

"Oops! You're right. Ready?"

"Whenever you are." They both prepared the spell.

"Curaga!!" They said together. Everyone's injuries were completely gone.

"Now what?" Sora asked Namine. She hugged her sketchbook to her chest.

"Well, first of all, Cedeile, Ryu and Aru have to go back through the mirror." As she said this, a White framed mirror appeared behind them.

"Go back where?" Cedeile asked.

"The dream castle. That is where you were before you all passed through the mirrors and ended up in here." Namine explained.

"That's right! Lakchine told me about the dream castle and it's ruler." Cedeile exclaimed.

"Correct. Then, I'll have to fix the memories of Sora, Donald, and Goofy." She added.

"How are you going to do that?" Sora said.

"It's easy. Memories exist in our hearts as chains-each one connecting to another. My power allows me to interfere with this chain of memories and unlink any chain I want."

"If you unlinked the chains, then how will you get the memories back?" Donald asked.

"The links aren't gone. They've just become dormant in your heart. I will use my powers to replace the chains. But in exchange, you will forget everything that happened within Castle Oblivion." Everyone gasped.

"Then…I won't remember you?" Sora asked sadly.

"I'm afraid so. In order to replace your memories, I must undo all the links I created. " Namine replied.

"You can't do that Namine!" Cedeile exclaimed.

"You're our friend now, Miss Namine." Goofy added. "What will happen if we can't remember you?"

"It's okay. " She said. She turned to look at Sora. "Because we'll still have our promise. And I'll always be there, deep within your heart in dormant memories. And I'm sure we'll meet again someday."

"Is that really the only way?" Aru asked.

"I'm afraid so." Namine replied.

"But…I can't…I don't want to forget you, Namine." Sora said.

"It's okay! You'll forget me, but we'll still have that promise. We're still friends!" She began to step backwards, moving away from him. Suddenly, from out of the ground under Sora, Donald, and Goofy, emerged massive, glass petals, like a flower.

"Sora!" Cedeile yelled. He looked at her, and waved, giving a cheeky smile. The petals closed completely, encasing him within. Cedeile ran up to the flower and touched the cold surface gently.

"This device will protect them and help me restore the memories." Namine explained.

"But…I finally remembered…Sora, you're my best friend from the islands. " She said quietly. "And it was you who gave me this necklace…"

"Cedeile…" Aru said quietly. She turned to look at them, and then faced them, smiling.

"It's okay. I'm sure I'll see Sora again-right, Namine?" She asked.

"Cedeile, you and Sora are connected because you are the two masters. When Sora wakes up, you'll know it. It will be clear that he has returned, and then you will meet." She said.

"Are you sure?" Cedeile asked. Namine nodded.

"I'm positive."

"What about the half-angel demon?" Ryu asked.

"She's been taken care of and is doing fine." Namine said.

"Seriously!? That's great!" Cedeile exclaimed.

"You said that we had to go back through the mirror to the dream castle. But before I was here, I was in a desert." Aru said.

"The dream castle uses the same magic that is used here." Namine said. "Without a doubt, you were in the dream castle. That mirror will take you to the top floor, the goal you were subconsciously trying to reach. But…the king of that castle put a barrier in the passage coming from Castle Oblivion to his castle, so it will be difficult for you to get back. You must be careful and keep going forward."

"What kind of barrier?" Cedeile asked.

"I don't know." She said simply.

"Then we'll have to take our chances. What about our memories? You can fix Sora and them, but what about us?" Ryu asked.

"The king of the dream castle will help you." She said. "You'd better go."

"She right, you guys." Aru said. "Let's go." The three of them went towards the mirror. Cedeile went up to go through first, and was just about to touch her hand to the glass when an arm shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Oh god-" She muttered before she was pulled through forcefully by the arm and disappeared.

"Cedeile!" Ryu and Aru exclaimed, trying to reach for her.

"Oh, it's fine." Namine said. They both turned back to look at her. "Someone is just waiting to meet her."

----

Cedeile stumbled through the mirror and nearly tripped over the bottom of the frame. She stumbled a bit to regain balance, but ended up falling on the floor anyway.

"Ow…"She murmured. She got up and looked around. It was foggy and white. "Did I even leave Castle Oblivion?" She asked no one in particular. She walked forward a bit. Then she noticed a figure approaching her, so she took out the heartblade, but the figure turned out to be Agent 427.

"Hello again, Cedeile." She greeted coldly.

"Agent 427!!" Cedeile exclaimed. "Where have you been this whole time? I was worried about you!" But 427 seemed not to care. She took out her sword and came at her. Cedeile blocked with the heartblade, even though she was taken by surprise. Cedeile pushed her away, but 427 came back and left a cut on Cedeile's cheek. "Why are you doing this?" Cedeile asked, but received no answer. She blocked 427's sword again, but the force of the attack knocked her over. She prepared to block again, but 427 just stood back and placed a hand on her hip.

"Do you think your brother is dead?" She asked.

"What? My brother? I don't remember…"

"You're stupider than I thought." 427 replied. Cedeile thought that this felt awfully familiar.

"Hey! Take that back!"

"You were there-you think you knew what happened that day, but you were only a child. It was natural to assume that he was dead-because the usual thing that happens when a heartless takes someone's heart _didn't _happen with him. He's special."

"Who?"

"Take a look for yourself." She said. She stepped aside and gestured out behind her. Cedeile stood and looked. Out of the fog began appearing people…and she was remembering them! First Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid slid into focus, then Tifa, Yuna, Kai, Benida, Kana, Nabuki, Silver Eye, Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka, followed by Riku, Sora, and Kairi. Then a lady with black hair and a man with black hair appeared-her parents. Her grandfather was with them as well. Then Ryu and Aru appeared behind them. But there was one more. This one stood alone all the way in the back, and seemed more real than the others.

It was a boy, just a little younger than her. He had spiky black hair, and wore a navy blue t-shirt and baggy army green cargo shorts. On his wrist were spike bracelets and a matching chocker adorned his neck. Slowly, he turned to face her, and opened his eyes. They were the same color as hers.

"Who's that?" Cedeile asked. "I feel like I should know him, but I don't…"

"Remember him…"427 said, before she faded away. Cedeile thought for a moment, then looked at him again.

'Who…Who could he be?' She thought.

_"Sister…"_

It came back to her all at once. The innocent face that was looking at her now watched with anticipation. She dropped the heartblade and brought both hands to her mouth in shock. It couldn't be, could it? Tears welled up in her eyes. It had to be him. It just had to be; even if it made no sense that he was alive and well, standing right in front of her.

"Daichi…Daichi!!!!!" He smiled and nodded.

"Sister…Cedeile…I've been waiting for so long to see you again. To tell you-oof!" She had bust into a high-speed run and tackled him in a big hug. Was she entitled to cry? She didn't care. It was okay to cry. She remembered always holding back tears.

"How..? How can…what about..?" She released him, still holding his shoulders, and looked at him. "But you are." He put his hands on her arms.

"I want to tell you everything, but I can't stay for too long." He said.

"Why? Daichi?"

"First of all, I just wanted to say that I've been waiting for this moment for as long as I can remember. The day that I could meet my sister again. You have no idea how badly I just wanted to go back home and tell you and mom and dad that I'm okay. I saw you all crying for such a long time, and I know the pain you've been feeling. It's because you couldn't explain what happened to me."

"I know. You just collapsed in that field, and I thought I was my fault." She said, recalling that exact day. "We'd been fighting all that morning, and mom was trying to get ready for a party or something that night, so she sent us outside to play. We went up the hill, and I was yelling at you, and then you went off ahead of me and just collapsed. I ran to try and help you but you weren't moving or breathing. No one knew what was wrong with you. The doctors said you had no heartbeat-that you were-"

"But I'm not!" Daichi interjected. "Let me tell you what really happened that day. The day was the first ever heartless attack in almost thirty years! It was the beginning of Ansem's plans."

"Heartless attack?"

"A single heartless made its way to our islands. That single heartless was in the field that day."

"So that means…?" She asked stupidly, a blank expression on her face. Daichi just laughed good-naturedly.

"I didn't die. My heart was taken from me by that heartless, who then scurried back into the darkness it came from before you or anyone could see it."

"But then why didn't your body disappear? That's what usually happens."

"I don't know why. He couldn't tell me either."

"Who?"

"DiZ. He's the one I've been with for most of this time. "

"But…your grave, and the coffin…?"

"Someone came and got me. I don't remember whom…but she almost looked like you. She was like an angel."

"Who?"

"I don't know. It was such a long time ago, that I can't remember her name. But she was warm and soft like a mother…I thought she was an angel to take me to heaven, but she told me what happened. She then brought me to this place in the darkness where she promised I would be safe, and there I stayed until I met DiZ. He told me about the Organization, and said that I was like them."

"No way! You're like them?!" She exclaimed. "I can't-"

"Relax. He only meant my state of being. But…I'm also not really like them. Separate. There's something that makes me different. That's what he told me. Then one day…DiZ just disappeared. But then I met Agent 427, and she promised me that she'd help me find you, so that I could tell you this."

"Then…you were…she said she had to tell me the truth."

"This is the truth Cedeile-I never died. I'm not buried in the cemetery back home. I'm here and I'm fine. Well…for the most part anyway." His face noticeably fell.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"It's Organization XIII. They're after me because I've been causing some problems, apparently."

"Daichi!" Cedeile scolded. "Why didn't you come to me sooner? I could've helped you!"

"I wanted to, but I couldn't! First, I had to wait until the Organization was gone from Castle Oblivion before I could show myself to you, and second, the boundaries between the NEO Zone and the world of light were still too hard for me to cross. But the boundaries have eroded away and the Organization is gone, thanks to you and Sora."

"You know about Sora?" She wasn't sure why she was surprised.

"Of course! I know everything about the two of you. And I also know about that story you told your boyfriend about my death. Getting hit by a car? Honestly, Cedeile-there are no cars on the islands. We've only seen them in books."

"What-? How-? BOYFRIEND?!" She stuttered. He took a step back and laughed at her, but then tried to calm himself down.

"That's right. You don't remember yet."

"Remember what?" She asked. He shook his head.

"It's okay-you'll know soon enough. But I'm afraid I'm out of time, Cedeile. Soon, the Organization will find me here in the world of light. I have to go back and hide in the darkness."

"You can't!" She said, and grabbed his hand. He gave her a half smile, and she could tell he didn't want to leave her either.

"I'm sorry, I have to."

"Come with me! We can fight them together!" She said. He shook his head.

"No, Cedeile. You have to on your own path. I can't interfere. DiZ explained it to me, and even though I want to stay with you, I have to accept your destiny, as well as my own."

"But will you be okay? What if they catch you?"

"They won't. Agent 427 will help me. She's always been with me."

"But-"

"I'm sorry-I'm out of time. But I promise you; Cedeile-I'll come to see you again soon. And when that time comes, I'll never have to leave you again." The fog completely swallowed him and he faded away. Even though she held tightly to his hand, it still somehow slipped out of her grasp. She sighed and watched as the fog got thicker and soon completely clouded her vision.

----

"_I can feel you."_

"_Who-?"_

"_Don't worry. We'll meet soon. Can you feel me with you?"_

----

Cedeile fell though the mirror and landed softly on the floor, as if asleep, but she soon awakened, as if a spell had been lifted.

"Daichi…?" She murmured as she tried to get awake. She slowly sat upright and looked at her hands. It wasn't a dream-she had been with him. Her brother was-something caught her eye. A mark on her leg that hadn't been there before… "What the hell is this?" She exclaimed. On the inside of her right thigh was a black outline of a heart, with two curved lines on either side extending out, almost like wings. She touched it. It didn't feel any different from the rest of her skin. She tried to rub it off, but nothing happened. "Where did this come from? It's like a tattoo…damn, mom would kill me if she saw this. Hey! I remember!" Truly, she did remember everything-except for one thing. The navy eyes; they were still haunting her.

"Cedeile? Are you okay?" Cedeile whipped her head around and saw Aru standing there. She had just come through the mirror.

"Aru! I remember just about everything!!!" She exclaimed, jumping up to her feet.

"That's great! But what happened in the mirror? You got pulled through by that hand and then-"

"I met my brother, Aru. My brother is alive and well!" She replied excitedly.

"What? You have a brother?" Aru asked, confused.

"That's right, I never told you! By the way, where is Ryu?"

"You mean he hasn't come through the mirror yet? I thought he might of-"

"He's trapped in-between the two castles." A new voice said. Before them stood Cloud, as imposing as ever, even with his crooked crown. "He cannot make it through because of his weak belief."

"Then he's in danger!" Aru said. "Namine told us that if we couldn't make it through, we'd be trapped in the mirrors forever!"

"That can't happen. I won't let it happen." Cedeile said. She turned around and walked back towards the mirror.

"You're going to save him?" Cloud asked. Cedeile nodded, still facing the glass and looking at her own reflection.

"I can't just leave him behind. Even if he's the last person I can't remember. Maybe I will remember him this time, but I will not leave him to die." She stepped through the mirror, the glass rippling around her, until she completely passed through. Aru watched on, worried, but Cloud just smirked to himself.

----

"Ryu!!!!" Cedeile yelled into the darkness. Brutal winds swept around her and blew her hair into her eyes. She held onto her bandana as she went so that it wouldn't fly away. "Ryu!!!" She yelled again. She hadn't found him yet, but she had only just made it through. She didn't remember her trip to Castle Oblivion being quite so rough as this, but she supposed that the barrier was working against her because she was trying to deprive it of a victim.

She proceeded onward, squinting into the inky blackness that spread itself before her, searching for a lone figure. She yelled for him again, half hoping to get answer, and really knowing that she wouldn't. Still she called for him, over and over again.

Then, she saw movement. She tried to find it again, desperately hoping for it to be him. She saw it-a shadow trying to make it's way through the storm. As it got closer, she saw it was him. He hadn't noticed her there yet.

"Ryu!!!!" Cedeile yelled, and began to run towards him. He finally noticed her and was surprised to see her, and taken more off guard by the big hug she caught him in.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, trying to regain his balance.

"I came for you. I couldn't let you come through alone. That guy…he said that you might die. Because you didn't believe, or something." She explained.

"Why do you even care?" He asked. She sniffed and looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Because I remember you. I remember everything…Ryosuke." She said softly. He gasped and realized that he remembered too. Without hesitating, he returned her embrace with his strong arms.

"Cedeile…I'm sorry that I forgot! It's so good to finally remember you." He said.

"I know. I remember everything now. Nothing is missing." They stepped back from each other and smiled. "So, shall we go back?"

"Sure." He replied. At that moment, the winds died down and the path back to the mirror was clear. They turned and ran towards it, not wanting to waste any more time.

----

They landed on the floor inside the dream castle. Aru and Cloud were there, waiting for them. The small mage ran towards them.

"Cedeile! Ryu!! Are you guys alright?"

"Sure we are." Ryu replied.

"That's right!" Cedeile added. Cloud smirked and walked towards the giant golden throne in the middle of the room. This place, they noticed, had golden walls with scarlet curtains, and that the floor was a royal blue marble. Cloud sat down on the throne, looked at them through one eye, and snapped his fingers. The three gasped at the same time.

"Whoa…what just happened?" Aru asked. "Are you two okay?"

"Who are you?" Cedeile asked. "Hey…who am I? Where am I, and what's going on?"

"Aru, have we been doing something? And who's this idiot?" Ryu asked, pointing to Cedeile.

"Shut your mouth!!!!" She yelled back. "I'm pretty sure just a moment ago, I knew everything about myself, but now I have no idea! Crap, I'm right back where I started!!!"

"If you would all calm down, I'll explain." Cloud said quietly. They all stopped and looked towards him. "Good. Congratulations-you've beaten the game."

"What game?" The three asked together.

"Hold on." He revealed in his left hand a shining silver orb. Out of it came three streaks of light, one bigger than the other two. They flew to each of them and disappeared.

"Whoa. I remember again." Cedeile muttered. "So that's it? We beat your game?"

"That's correct. I just gave you your memories back because you've gotten to the top floor of Castle Chocobo." He explained. "First I had to make you forget. It's very unusual for the players of my game to remember the memories they gave me. But you are no usual children."

"I guess not." Cedeile responded. Ryu and Aru both elbowed her in the side to keep her quiet.

"You did not heed my warning about the mirrors, and you drifted into this castle's shadow. But, in a way, that's what I wanted to happen."

"Hold on." Ryu interjected. "The places I was in-the forest and the theme park- were within this castle?"

"And the desert?" Aru added.

"Yes. They were projections based on you. And those dark voids were what they are beyond the magic. Just big, empty spaces."

"But what about me?" Cedeile asked. "What happened? How come I forgot everything, while Aru and Ryu didn't?"

"That was interesting indeed." Cloud said.

"Yeah. It was because you didn't have one special person." A new voice added. From behind Cloud's throne emerged a girl dressed in all pink. Ryu glared at her.

"Rose!" He exclaimed.

"Mint!" Aru said at the same time.

"What are you talking about, Aru? That girl's name is Rose. And why does she look a lot like Cerulean?" Rose laughed.

"Rose, Cerulean, and Mint are my servants. But only Rose is real." Cloud said.

"That's right." Rose added. "You see, Cerulean and Mint are also me, but they only exist in the dream worlds. They are the other "me's" created by the king. Now, about your memories, Cedeile; you were very indecisive about who your most special person was, so when the spell was cast to take those memories, it took all your memories, because everyone is special to you. Ryu and Aru, without knowing, had already decided who was most important to them, which is why they were able to remember."

"Exactly." Cloud said. "And, with the prompting of the trinity solider, you started to remember. Also, following Sora's memory trail helped you recalled what you had lost."

"But what I don't understand is that 427 and some of the other kept saying that this castle takes on several forms, and Agent 427 said something about you being a different Cloud than the real one. What does that mean? What is Castle Chocobo?" Cedeile asked. Cloud half smiled.

"Indeed. Castle Chocobo is not the real castle, and I am not the real king. Allow me to show you." The walls around them began to crack and break, and Cloud began to change. Suddenly, they found themselves in a glowing place, and in place of Cloud was a man with giant white wings and long, dark gray hair. His eyes were a sky blue color.

"Whoa." Cedeile muttered.

"Who are you?" Aru asked.

"I am the true king, and this is the true castle." The man responded, his voice echoing around them even though his mouth did not move in the slightest. "My name is Majesty, and this is Castle Yume, the real castle of dreams."

"Castle…Yume?" Ryu repeated slowly.

"Who are you, Majesty? And why hide your identity like that?" Cedeile asked.

"Heartblade master, I will tell you all you need to know. I am an angel that used to serve under God above in heaven. My role was to guard all dreams of humans and to keep demons from infiltrating them. However, in my high position I got cocky and began to mess up the dreams and turning them to nightmares. This displeased God, and when he discovered the extent of my crimes, he banished me from heaven and trapped me within this castle. This place, Castle Yume, is the place where all dreams do come from. And I am forever doomed to watch over it, lest darkness and evil corrupt it, for without this place, surely the universe would die. The place always needs an outer shell to mask it, for no humans should ever step foot in this place. And I myself take on many forms to protect myself."

"So that's why you appeared to us as Cloud?" Cedeile asked.

" Yes. I became someone you vaguely knew, so that you would trust me and play my game."

"Okay. But if no humans should ever set foot here, why did you bring us here?" Ryu asked.

"Because you are chosen children. For the heartblade master, God could surely make an exception. You three have played my game, helped defeat Organization XIII, and saved the dream castle. Those nobodies in Castle Oblivion were trying to get here, so that they could control Castle Yume, but they had not the knowledge to break it's shell. Still, they were greatly interfering with dreams."

"Why not just destroy Castle Oblivion? Surely an angel-" Aru began.

"I could now. For Castle Oblivion and Castle Yume are linked. This place is the castle of dreams, and Castle Oblivion is the castle of memories-they are each other shadows."

"Well that makes sense…never mind, I have no idea what you mean." Cedeile said.

"Idiot." Ryu muttered.

"I heard that!"

"You guys! Let Majesty continue!" Aru scolded.

"Dreams are the shadows of memory-forever linked and inseparable. It's because of the flow of time that was set upon the earth. Memory is the past, a record of things that have happened to us. Dreams are the future-what could be. Sora has chosen the path of memories-to go back and remember all that he lost. You have yet to choose a path. But the masters will never walk the same way. That is how is must and should be, in order for them to become the saviors of the universe."

"But what represents the present?" Cedeile asked.

"What do you mean, Heartblade master?"

"You said dreams are the future and memories are the past, but what about the present? Isn't that what's most important?" Majesty smiled slightly.

"The present exists in you, because you control it for yourself. You control your actions and your decisions. Simply, you are the present." Cedeile nodded and thought.

"Then…can I take the path of the present?" she asked.

"Explain yourself." Majesty responded.

"I'm tired of the past, because it can't be changed. It's done and over with. And the future is uncertain and hasn't happened yet. So, can I walk that narrow path in between? Can I live for now, for my friends and myself?" There was a silence.

"That is a difficult road to take. But, I have confidence in your heart and your will, and I think that if you stay determined and focused, perhaps you can live for the present. Is that the path you wish to take?" He asked.

"Yes." She responded.

"Very well. Then you must be off on your way. There is still much to be done." A door appeared opposite them, and slowly opened. "Go through this door, and you will find yourself outside the castle. Go off to your next journey."

"But wait, Majesty! There's still so much-" Cedeile began.

"Go, Heartblade Master. You must find the answers on your own…"

"Thank you, Majesty." Aru said. "For teaching us and helping us." He just nodded and motioned towards the door. The three reluctantly walked towards it and began to step through. Cedeile remained and looked back at the angel.

"Will we meet again?" She asked.

"Probably not. I am doomed to stay here for eternity, and I don't think I can allow you here again."

"Then goodbye. I hope that you can someday leave this place." She said, and walked through the last door.

----

The sun was bright-she had forgotten what it was like to really be outside. They were on a beach at the base of some cliffs, and the salt water was roaring up onto the beach. It was warm out, and a cool breeze blew off the water and through her hair. It was over.

"Cedeile!" Aru called. She opened her eyes and looked forward at her two friends. She ran over to them, and dared to look back at the castle, but it was not there. Instead, only a cliff and the field above remained.

"So, where are we now? Back in that stupid field?" Cedeile asked.

"Don't be stupid. We're on a beach." Ryu replied.

"But isn't that the field up there?" Cedeile asked, pointing.

"I don't know. I wonder where that door sent us. Hopefully Majesty got us out of that field world and to some other world where we can get a gummi ship and some information…" Aru trailed off when she noticed Ryu looking at a very large rock. "Something wrong, Ryu?"

"I know where we are." He said as they walked towards the rock. There were several names carved into it, one of which was Ryu's.

"What is this?" Cedeile asked.

"A rock. Duh."

"No, I mean…what are the names and stuff?"

"When I was young, my father brought my siblings and myself out here for training, and when we left we all carved our names in the rock." Ryu explained.

"So you've been to this rock. What does that mean for us?"

"Hold on, hold on." Ryu said. "Look." He pointed over his shoulder. "If we keep going in that direction, we should get to my hometown in a little under two or three days."

"Really?" Aru asked, joyous.

"Should be." Ryu said.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!!!!" Cedeile said, and took off, running at full speed.

"Wait for us, Cedeile!" Aru yelled. She and Ryu exchanged looks and began chasing after her.

Kingdom Hearts: Adventures at Castle Chocobo-END

----

6H: Well, that's the end of that. At last!!!

Anaretsu: A good thing, too.

6H: Thanks to everyone who stuck through it with me. I'm sorry it took so long, but I ran into a lot of writer's blocks, and my computer kept acting retarded on me. But now that it's over, we can go on right to the good stuff! Kingdom Hearts 2!!!

Anaretsu: After this nightmare, no one's going to want to read the next one.

6H: You made a pun!

Anaretsu: Excuse me?

6H: Never mind. Please stick with me till the end of KH2. I promise you will not be disappointed. Please review this last chapter and tell me what you thought. I'm hoping that everything was explained clearly enough and that you were satisfied with the ending. See you all again soon!!


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